Sep 10, 2021
Tui Osborne has been named director of rugby at St. Bonaventure University.
Osborne, along with men’s assistant Danny Neighbour, will coach the women’s team this fall as a search for a new head women’s coach begins.
“I’m excited by this opportunity to have the men and women under one program so we can build a unified culture with common goals,” Osborne said.
A two-time national champion as coach at Life University, Osborne has been the men’s head rugby coach since 2016.
The men wrap up their slate of nonconference friendlys against visiting Syracuse Saturday at 1 p.m.; the game will be livestreamed on ESPN+. The Bonnies defeated Buffalo RFC, Colgate and had an impressive 45-27 home win over a strong Mount St. Mary’s club on Sept. 4.
The Bonnies compete in one of the nation’s toughest conferences, Rugby East, which features four teams — Army, Kutztown, Navy and Penn State — ranked in the top 12 nationally for all D-1A conferences; the Bonnies are ranked 21st, up four spots after their win last Saturday.
Rugby East is now a member of National Collegiate Rugby. The Bonnies are ranked 4th in NCR’s preseason poll.
“Beating the Mount was a good win for us, and gives us some confidence as we head into league play next Saturday at Navy,” Osborne said. “But we still have plenty of work to do. You just can’t take a day off in this league. Every game is a significant challenge.”
The women open regular season play at 11 a.m. Sept. 25 vs. Fredonia at 11 a.m. as part of a Family Weekend rugby tripleheader. The men host Army at 1 p.m. and the JV men play immediately after.
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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.