This will be empty soon.

Can’t wait to see everyone tonight! 

• DINNER at 6pm
• DRINKS at 8pm

RSVP por favor!

If you are planning on attending the SIT-DOWN dinner portion of the
evening at 6pm, PLEASE make sure you RSVP by January 22nd to
lionsrugbyalumni@gmail.com.  Please include the number of additional
guests you might be bringing, as we will need to give the Mill Hill a
head count for dinner.  Payment for the sit-down portion has always
gone smoothly, but as a reminder, the total costs are split per
person. Any drink or food ordered at the bar or after dinner are paid
for separately.

Those who cannot join us for the sit-down dinner should show up for
drinks around 8pm.

Special Hotel Rate and Information – 19 rooms available until January 14th!

Considering we are all (now) law-abiding citizens and wouldn’t think
of driving after an event as inhibition reducing as the Alumni Dinner,
a block of rooms has been held for us at the Trenton Marriott.  The
rate is $107 plus tax for a room with a king or 2 double beds.  This
price includes the cost of parking and can be pretty inexpensive if
rooms are shared.  If you are interested in reserving a room under the
block please make sure you do so by January 14th.  After the 14th the
block and reduced price will no longer be available.  You can reserve
rooms by calling the Marriott at 1-609-421-4000 and mentioning the
“The College of New Jersey Alumni Affairs” block or online at
marriott.com/ttnmc by entering CNACNAA into the Group Code under
Special Rates and Awards.

Taxis/Transportation

The Trenton Marriott is a short cab ride from the Mill Hill.  After
last year’s warning from law enforcement that people shouldn’t be
walking to and from the Mill Hill and Trenton’s recent reduction in
their police force, we will be strongly encouraging people to split
cab fares.  We will have information available at the hotel and bar.
Just ask!

Jerseys Orders

There will be order forms for both Men’s and Women’s Alumni jerseys at
the dinner.  Payment won’t be due that night, but if you plan on
ordering a jersey, please make sure you submit a form to Brian Cole,
Merchandise Coordinator.  If you are undecided, there will be a short
window of time to place your order after the dinner.  More info will
be available that night.

Donations 

As always, we’ll be accepting donations for the Lions Rugby Alumni
Association.  For those of you who haven’t realized, this year will be
the 15th Anniversary of our club.  We’d like to celebrate big at our
Alumni Day and Game this spring, so we’ll need your help.  Of course
we’ll be appreciative of any donations collected the night of the
dinner BUT better yet, donate online directly into our Paypal account
– lionsrugbyalumni@gmail.com.  This will allow you to spend your cash
on drinks and keep us from taxing around Trenton with wads of cash.
We of course appreciate any support you can provide.

Speaking of Cash…

Lastly, please remember to bring CASH for dinner and drinks.  With the
amount of ruggers in attendance the Saloon believes cash (vs. plastic)
will allow for a smoother ordering experience.

See here for additional info.

Can’t wait to see you all!!

When: Saturday January 28th, 2012
Where: Joe’s Mill Hill Saloon & Eatery, 300 South Broad Street, Trenton (corner of South Broad & Market St).
What: Dinner 6-8pm (RSVP requested for head count), Drinks 8pm – Close

If you’ve never been to an Alumni Dinner before, this is the year to make it out! The last two Alumni Dinners have been held at the Mill Hill Saloon, a Trenton institution with excellent, very reasonably-priced food, and a great party atmosphere. Last year, there were 45+ people at the dinner, and 100+ for dinner and/or drinks! The Alumni Dinner is a great chance to catch up with old friends and hang out with alumni from different classes.

Besides….

Bed, Bath and Beyond will have another sale.
You have enough time to get a sitter.
Facebook won’t miss you that much.
You may be old, but you aren’t dead.

Come out and party!

An email with details about the event, hotel information, etc., will be sent out in the next few weeks. We hope all can attend what can only be described as the Rugby social event of year! Feel free to bring significant others, friends, and family (21 and over, of course).

Please RSVP to lionsrugbyalumni@gmail.com if you (and any guests) will be joining us for the sit-down dinner portion of the evening.

Rucking Regards!

Deb, with the help of her graduate assistant Tiffany and others on the TCNJ campus, has set up a Sports Club Memorial Fund.  This will be an annual award in memory of sport club members who have passed away including: Jason Cairns (men’s rugby), Ken Johnsen, Jr. (men’s rugby), and Kathleen Walsh (women’s soccer).  In addition to providing programmatic financial support for the growing club programs, this fund will also provide awards and plaques for current Sports Club team members who are recognized as leaders both on and off the playing field. These awards will be presented at the Annual Student Life Achievement Awards Dinner hosted by the Office of Student Affairs. Donations made through Alumni and Development and an annual 5K fun-run will pay for the awards each year.

Thanks Deb for setting up this amazing memorial fund!

Although the notice is short, we’re hoping we can get a group out for the First Annual 5K Fun Run!  Here are the details:

Date: Sunday, December 11, 2011

Registration: Day-of from 10-11:30am

Start: Fun Run 5K begins on Sundial Lawn by Brower Student Center at noon.

A $5 minimum donation is required for a participant to run/walk.  If you want to give more, it will be happily received and put toward the fund.

A Facebook event has been created through the TCNJ Rugby Alumni page, so if you would like to attend feel free to RSVP HERE so everyone can see who is coming out and so an after run event can be organized if participants feel so inclined…

If you cannot make the run you can still donate by use of this form or by donating online at www.tcnj.edu/give (please be sure to indicate that you would like your gift to support the “TCNJ Sports Club Memorial Fund”).

Contact Deb at dsimpson@tcnj.edu or by phone at 609-771-2190 if you have any questions.

Please feel free to forward this information on to anyone who might not see this, especially family and friends of Ken and Jay.

These are the types of events our Association hopes to promote and support more regularly.  So if you are able, please come out or donate!

Rucking Regards,

Lions Rugby Alumni Association

TCNJ Men’s Rugby Match Schedule

Sat. Oct. 8 – AWAY @ East Stroudsburg University
Sat. Oct. 15 — BYE
Sat. Oct. 22 — AWAY @ Lafayette College
Sat. Oct. 29 – AWAY @ Drexel University
Sat. Nov. 5 — AWAY @ Bloomsburg University
Sat. Nov. 12 – Semifinals
Sat. Nov. 19 – Championships

TCNJ Women’s Rugby Match Schedule

Fri. Oct. 7 – HOME vs. Temple University (8:30pm)
Sat. Oct. 15 — BYE
Sat. Oct. 22 — OFF/Homecoming
Sat. Oct. 29 – AWAY @ Drexel University

We’ve reserved a tent again so we’ll have an official meeting spot and will probably be placed in Lot 2 again, right next to the old guys frat (it’s all good, they’re cool and play some groovy tunes!)
 
The Details:
Date: Saturday, October 22nd
Time: 8 am till whatever time they kick us out of the lot
Place: We were tentatively told that our tent will be in Lot 2 again – the lot closest to Loser Hall.  We’ll rig up some kind of flag or sign so you won’t miss us.  If things change we’ll let you know.
BYO: Drink, Food, Coolers, Chairs, etc.
After party: Sloc’s, of course.
 
A Call For:
- If anyone has a table that can be used for beer pong/flip cup – please let us know.  The College provided us with one table last year, but we ended up needing more surface area.
- Grills.  If you have portable propane grills bring um!  The more we have the easier it’ll make cooking, best to have a few going at once. 
 
If you CAN bring any of the above please just send a quick email to lionsrugbyalumni@gmail.com indicating so, so we know how many or few tables/grills we have coming.

Some of you may remember last summer, when Hot Wheels planned a fantastic pub crawl in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Fun was had by all, and most of us made it out alive.

This summer, in honor of “The Kates” (Bernyk and Daniels, that is) recent birthdays, we are doing it all again — but this time in Park Slope and some surrounding neighborhoods!

Here’s the ambitious brew schedule:

2pm-4pm: Park Slope Ale House (6th Ave at 5th St)
4pm-5pm: The Gate (5th Ave at 3rd St)
5pm-6pm: Union Hall (Union St btw 5th & 6th Aves)
6pm-7pm: Sheep Station (4th Ave at Douglass St)
7pm-8pm: Ceol (Smith St. btw Warren & Baltic Sts)
8pm-9pm: Gowanus Yacht Club (Smith St. at President St)
9pm- ?: PJ Hanley’s (Court St. at 4th Pl)

Each of these bars are easily accessible by NYC subway (F and G lines). We recommend you take the F or G to 4th Ave/9th St to meet us at the first pub. We will end up closer to the Carroll St stop when it is all said and done.

If you didn’t already order a cool t-shirt, then it might be too late. But if you are dying to have one, feel free to reach out to Kate B at kbernyk@gmail.com to see what might be done.

Saturday’s a drinking day!

Really high-tech map of the crawl below!

TCNJ Rugby Alumni & Undergrads 2011

Another amazing Alumni Day has come and gone, and once again, both the Men and Women’s Alumni teams were victorious over the undergrads. 
 
FINAL SCORES
Women: 59-0
Men: 37-34
 
Besides basking in the glory of showing those undergrads to respect their elders, it was a perfect day to be outside and barbecuing with friends new and old.
 
Thanks to the work of the Lions Rugby Alumni Association, undergrad leadership, and staff at TCNJ, we were not only able to pull off another great alumni event, but even have a few extra perks this year — including commemorative plastic “Alumni Day” mugs and a Kevin Cashmoney Millionaire raffle (thanks Cashman!), which raised over $300 for future events and raffled off a rugby prize pack.
 
Speaking of the raffle, a special shout-out must go to the family of Ken Johnsen, Jr. who won the grand 50/50 prize (much thanks to their huge purchase of raffle tickets!), only to donate that cash prize directly back to alumni efforts. Even more than that, the Johnsen family generously donated their own money to support the association’s efforts and brought tons of post-game beverages for everyone on the field that day in memory of Ken.
 
Since the Alumni Men once again seized the coveted Ken Johnsen, Jr. Cup for the second year in a row, “Little” Joe Marginola made sure each of the victorious alums toasted out of the cup to Ken’s honor. We just can’t thank the Johnsen family enough for their incredible support.

The Men’s Alumni also awarded an inaugural Lion’s Eye Award, in memory of the late Jay “Control” Cairns, to an undergrad player who embodies the intensity, focus and drive that was quintessentially Control. The award for 2011 went to team captain Chris Duffy, as he has been the driving force in elevating the program and a fierce warrior on the pitch. Congrats Duff!

It’s also worth highlighting the fantastic turnout the Alumni Women saw this year. Unlike previous years, when the ladies have had to “borrow” rookies just to play a round of 10s, they had a full roster! In fact, most of the ladies on the pitch that day were part of the team during the “glory days” of D2 championship victory back in 2002 (almost 10 YEARS AGO?!?!). Nice work, Alumni Ladies!
 
Thanks to everyone who made it out this past Saturday. Please use the comment section of this post below to include your favorite highlights of the games and requisite debauchery that followed at Slocum’s. (Just please try to keep it PG! Save the rest of that inappropriate stuff for the message board. ) And if you have some  great photos from the event, please share! Email lionsrugbyalumni@gmail.com or send us a message through Facebook.
 
Definitely don’t be a stranger until next May! Remember there are other upcoming events between now and then where you can eat, drink and be merry with your fellow ruggers – so check out our CALENDAR page right now!!

If this guy can do it, so can we!

Attention Rugby Alumni!!!!

It’s that time of the year again – time to make sure your old rugby bag has all the necessities.  Boots – check. Absurdly tight shorts – check. Mouth guard – crap, where the hell is it? Do I really have to buy one of these things every year? Offensive smelling socks – check.  Advil – check. More Advil – check. Beer – hell yeah.

Alumni Day is just around the corner – SATURDAY, APRIL 30th to be exact (rain date will be the following day, Sunday, May 1st).  As always family, friends, kiddos (we like to call them the “next generation”) are welcome!

Here are the details:

Location: Really? If you don’t know, you don’t need to know. (Hint: It starts with Green and ends with Lane.)

Game Times:
Women’s Match – 1pm kickoff
Men’s Match* – 3pm kickoff

Alumni should probably try to get there a little early to figure out who is going to attempt to play what position. And we are sure some will be getting there Friday  night for the requisite “practice” at VFW fields/Sloc’s.

*NOTE: As most of you know, the current men’s team is in contention for a national title.  If (WHEN!) they win on Saturday, April 9th, they advance to the finals in Virginia.  The championship game falls on the same weekend as Alumni Day and will mean the undergrad men will not be around to play.  If that turns out to be the case, we will celebrate their win and our organization’s history by playing an EPIC Alumni vs. Alumni Men’s match.  That’s right boys, you’ll have to bring your A game.  No beating up on the youngins this year!  The good news is – The Ken Johnsen, Jr. Cup will spend another year in Alumni possession!

Field Festivities:   Food, soda, and water will be plenty and available during and after the games.  As always it’s BYO for all other refreshments.  You know the drill.

After Game Festivities: Slocum’s has been notified to staff accordingly. That’s all we’re going to say about that.

Hotel info:  A block of rooms have been reserved for Friday April 29th and Saturday April 30th.  Reservations should be made directly with the hotel.  In order to get the special rate, you need to mention TCNJ Reunion or use the online code (when applicable).  Rooms have been reserved at the following hotels for the following rates plus 15% tax:

Marriott Courtyard-Ewing/Hopewell – $114.00 per night plus tax
2.5 miles from TCNJ at 360 Scotch Rd, Ewing
Call 609.771.8100

Springhill Suites by Marriott-Ewing – $119.00 per night plus tax
1.8 miles from TCNJ at 1000 Charles Ewing Road, Ewing
Reservation link – http://cwp.marriott.com/ttnsh/tcnj/ or call 609.530.0900
Your best bet is to call and say you are there for the “TCNJ Reunion.” We are hearing the online reservations aren’t working so great. We also hear this hotel has a shuttle that will take you anywhere within 5 miles (which includes Slocs).

With that said, now is the time to start scrambling to get “in shape” for the game.  Because we all know a few three-ish mile runs between now and the 30th should do the trick….who cares if those runs are to the liquor store!

We can’t wait to see you all there.  It should be one helluva day! Saturday is a Rugby Day!!!

Women’s Schedule:

March 26th: Home vs. Ursinus @11am
April 2nd: Home vs. Drexel @11am
April 9th: @ Drew @11am (AWAY)
April 15-16th: Beast of the East
April 30th: Alumni Day

Men’s Schedule:

March 26/27 – MARFU Championships @ Farmville, VA (Away)
April 2 – TBD
April 9 – Ithaca University (NSCRO Qualifier) – Home-ish (William Antheil Elementary School, 339 Ewingville Road, Ewing .. at the corner of Green Lane).
April 22 – @ Rowan (Away, but not that far!)
April 29 – NSCRO Championships @VA Beach (Away)