History of the Jesuit Dallas Rugby Program
Jesuit students were originally introduced to rugby in the spring of 1982. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Bill Durick, a graduate of Jesuit and a history teacher, would meet a group of students at Churchill Park. There, Mr. Durick would demonstrate the concepts of the game with one ball and 6 students.Â
It wasn't until 1997 when several students created a club team for Jesuit Rugby. The team trained twice a week with the help of alum Jim Duda, who had played in college, and Hennie Viljoen, a coach with the Dallas Harlequins.
In 1999, Jesuit hosted its first touring side, Father Bressani CHS from Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. Anthony Mattacchione, a coach in the Canadian school's program, grew attached to the Jesuit community, and was soon hired to become the coach of Jesuit's newest varsity sport: Rugby.
During the 1999-2000 school year, Jesuit launched its newest sport under the tutelage of Coach Mattacchione. Mattacchione brought a new philosophy to the program: "Try it". Students are encouraged  to try the game of rugby for a week, then decide if they hope to continue. While some students don't find an interest in the sport, Mattacchione's philosophy has led to one of Texas' most successful high school programs.
In its early years, Jesuit Rugby traveled across the state and the region to play matches. To build on its newfound varsity status, the program hosted the first annual Jesuit Dallas Rugby Showdown in the spring of 2000. Jesuit sides from across the country, including defending national champion Jesuit Sacramento, attended. Today, the Jesuit Dallas Rugby Showdown is a premeir Texas Rugby tournament, as top-level teams from the USA and Canada participate annually.
The team has seen much success with numerous appearances in the State Final Four, highlighted by State Championships in 2001 and 2010. Â Jesuit has taken tours to the Cayman Islands (2001), Arizona (2004), Southern California (2005), Washington (2006), Utah (2007 for the National Championships) and Ireland in 2009. The school's administration and the Rugby program teamed up to offer the experience of Rugby's cultural and social exchanges through various tours, and have established a goal to offer them every few years to members of the program.
The Jesuit Rugby program has seen much success in its history and owes much of it to the commitment of the Booster Club, alumni and school administration. Over the years the school has found a coaching staff from within their own alumni community who have come back to be full time coaches and staff members.
Jesuit Rugby Highlights
In 2015 Jesuit Rugby celebrates its 16th year as a Varsity Sport. The team has accomplished many things in those 16 years:
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- 7 Rugby Tours
- 12 State Final Four Appearances
- 2 State Championships
- 10 WEST Regional Championship Appearances
- 1 WEST Regional Pool Championship
- 1 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
- Countless memories and friendships to last a lifetime!
STATE CHAMPIONS
2001
2010
2021
STATE Finalist
2000
2008
2009
2011
STATE SEMI-FINALIST
2002 - 3rd Place
2003 - 4th Place
2004 - 3rd Place
2005 - 3rd Place
2007 - 3rd Place
2012 - 3rd Place
2019 - 4th Place
WEST RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPS
2001 - 2nd Place - South pool
2007 - 1st Place - Pool "C"
2010 - 3rd Place
2011 - 2nd Place
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS
2007 - 16th Place
