Fairfield, CT – Director of Club Sports Ray Mencio and the SHU Club Sports Department announced the hiring of Anthony Mattariello, Jason Libertelli and Rhys Fabiani as the newest coaching staff of the Club Rugby team. The trio of alumni will assume coaching duties for this upcoming spring season and are looking to build up the winning program in the future. Director Ray Mencio expressed his excitement, “I am thrilled to have Tony, Rhys and Jay back apart of the men's rugby program. As players, all three played integral roles in leading the team to the national tournament with not only their play on the field but also their leadership off the field. We are lucky to be able to bring them back into the fold and help elevate our program back to a national contender.”
Mattariello, who will serve as the team's Head Coach, is looking forward to the challenge. “Sacred Heart was a huge part of my life for the six years I attended, and it still is to this day.” He continued, “I [am] stoked to teach students that stand where I once stood, win some games, and most importantly have fun!”
The “Big Three” were a huge part of the reason why the team had success during their undergraduate and graduate years, creating exciting moments and winning some big games in the process. The most noticeable part of those teams was the close brotherhood that was forged among players. “Coming into SHU, I [had] never touched a rugby ball and, with most of the team graduating, a lot of us first time players were turned into first time starters,” said Matteriello. “The quick turnaround forced us to hit the ground running, learn from our mistakes, and become humbled athletes.
“When I joined the Rugby team my freshmen year, we had a record number of freshmen to join the team, and I am still friends with most of them to this day,” added Jason Libertelli. “We started off learning the basics together and we got to progress our skill sets together in our four years on the team.”
While youth turnaround led to some great moments for the club rugby team down the road, it was not without overcoming some adversity. Matteriello explained, “Our freshmen year we were 2-8, but with patience and dedication we were able to go undefeated by our senior year. We intend to bring that type of mindset to this team.”
“In the beginning, we were on a team that didn't have a lot of rugby experience, and we did not have much success to start,” added Maurice (Rhys) Fabiani. “It was a humbling introduction to the sport. This allowed us to grow with each other, and learn from each other. After that first year we all had something to prove to the competition. It was our turn.”
It was their turn for sure, as they started to rewrite the record books during the 2017 season. “I believe the success of our 2017 season really stems from our relationships off the field. We were a cohesive team, everyone got along for the most part, and if there was an issue we worked it out together,” added Libertelli. The new staff believes that their time playing together will make it an easy transition to the coaching side, playing off of their undergraduate success and unique abilities to relate to those nervous incoming freshmen, some of whom will be playing for their first time. “Coach Tony, Rhys and I have played together for years, and I believe the same mentality we had when we played will translate well into our coaching career. I look to teach the players the same mentality,” said Libertelli. Fabiani added, “Our success came from being a brotherhood on and off the field. That's where it starts. We had fun & we held each other accountable.”
After a couple of years through the pandemic, the coaching staff is ready to get started cultivating a winning mindset into the program that they helped grow. They will begin this spring with practices, tournaments, and recruiting efforts for the future. The excitement is as high as the expectations and can only be summarized by the infamous Jets linebacker Bart Scott quote, which Coach Fabiani summarized his own excitement with: “Can't Wait”
Stay up to date with everything related to the Club Rugby team and Club Sports department here at Sacred Heart by following our social media accounts at @SHUClubSports and here at SHUClubSports.com
