Past members of the NMU Moosemen rugby football team reunited to celebrate the club's 45th anniversary last weekend. To honor the milestone, they established an NMU Rugby Hall of Fame with the first 14 inductees, donated a scrum sled training apparatus to the program, and honored one of their former teammates who passed away. Both the current Moosemen and the Northstars women also hosted alumni matches at the Wright Street fields.
Sociology graduate Jeramy Katchuba, who is the chief operating officer at the Duluth YMCA, said the weekend was all about honoring the last 45 years and the people who created a pathway for future students to play rugby at Northern.
“The history, culture, camaraderie and spirit of rugby at Northern is really strong,” he said. “It's a great experience to be part of, and a good opportunity in your formative years to make long-term connections. I still maintain contact with 15 people I played with in the ‘90s and have gotten together with four of my former teammates two times a year for the past 25 years. The sport is evolving across the country, with more of an emphasis on professionalism while still holding on to some of the social aspects. The NMU Northstars women's team has been in the national championship games over the last couple of years.”
Katchuba said alumni players held a July fundraiser to purchase a new scrum sled that they presented to the current team on Saturday. For those unfamiliar with rugby, a scrum is a method of restarting play that involves players packing closely together with their heads down and attempting to gain possession of the ball. The sled is a padded, weighty training device used to mimic the opposing team's resistance in order to safely improve strength and skills.
Nearly 60 alumni were nominated for the NMU Rugby Hall of Fame. The first inductees are: Chuck Delpier, Jeff Gorno, Tom Aepelbacher, Steve Nemeckay, Tom Foley, Rick Niedt, Bryan Smith, Nate DeDamos, Jeramy Katchuba, Pat Bailey, Rory McRae, Jordan Buss, Aaron Young and Ken Laverty. The alumni also honored Pete Jankowski, who played at NMU from 1986-88 and for a few years after leaving. He was a retired fire chief in California and passed way in May 2022.
Some Moosemen alumni return to campus every year, with larger reunions held every five years, Katchuba said. This year's event also included a golf outing and formal gathering with dinner on Saturday, and a canoe trip on the Au Train River on Sunday.
“We always appreciate the support from NMU,” he added. “The university has treated the club very well over years, from Alumni Relations to Rec and Club Sports. That's not the feedback we get from a lot of college teams, so we know we're fortunate. It's a little more laid-back match when the alumni and current teams play each other. They take it easier on us old boys.”
