Gearing Up For the Upcoming Rugby Season

Michael Lebbie

The rugby Stags are gearing up for their upcoming season, and they are ready, too. Last year they went undefeated and won the Metro Area Varsity Rugby Conference (MAVRC) Championship, beating Gonzaga in a rough game by 10 points (22-12). The Stags are looking to go back-to-back and go undefeated once more.

Coach Chatman led the Stags to the championship and he has high hopes for his team and the season. Chatman says, “We had a great group of seniors last year; I think the majority of them are playing in college but we have a good returning group of guys for this 2026 class and we’re looking to repeat.” Coach Chatman believes in his team and feels like they have a real chance to do another good job of holding the standard of DeMatha, which is winning.

The coaching staff believes that the players this year have a strong presence. They know how to play the game and a lot of the players have played for between two and four years. The coaches say the athletes play for Academy teams outside of school and that its significant for them, experience-wise, to have those guys come back and show off their leadership skills and their new rugby skills on the field.

A big part in this team is its versatility. Coach Chatman states, “Things that are going to be really huge for us [include] the ability to be versatile on this team, because we’re going to have a few guys stepping up and playing different positions or taking on positions that they maybe have not gotten much playing time in before.” So Coach Chatman and his team believe that having that experience within camps or playing outside of DeMatha will be huge for the team chemistry and how they build a good team for the season.

Micheal Lebbie, a senior and leader for the Stags, believes that with today’s team they have a lot of young and upcoming students with lots of potential and abilities to support the team. Lebbie also believes that they have lots of leadership and great captains like Gordan Johnson, who is the number 5 ranked player in the nation. Lebbie thinks that the senior leadership is there and now he’s “ready to lead, make a name for myself, and win.”