The American International College men’s rugby team was invited to Springfield City Hall on January 28, where Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno himself congratulated the team of the year on their achievements last semester.

Many attended the Mayor’s ceremony in support of the team, including coaches from different sports of AIC. This just showed that the rugby team’s hard work and determination during the season was noticed.

Sarno told the team how proud he was that a small school in Springfield managed to accomplish so much in under a couple of months. During his speech, he named a few universities that the team beat along the way, including Penn State, Boston College and a strong Clemson squad.

“Results like these put American International College on the map,” stated Sarno. What had the mayor even more  surprised  was the scores in those games. Beating the likes of Boston College and Clemson by 30 points is a statement, considering the history and size of those schools.

Athletic Director Matt Johnson spoke about the Yellow Jackets men’s rugby team being role models on and off the field. He also mentioned  that he has got to know the team more having travelled with them for nationals and recently down to the Clemson game in North Carolina.

“Guys on the team made the effort to introduce themselves to me and also to include myself in any activities, the athletic director noted.

President of American International College Vincent Maniaci said  that his favorite thing about about the rugby team is that how the young guys (freshmen and sophomores) are included with the upperclassmen and that system generally tends to flow through out the years.

Not many teams tend to allow the young guys to  mix with the upper class men; this is why the AIC men’s rugby team is unique,” Maniaci stated.

AIC captain Skyler Adams gave a well-addressed speech to the audience on what makes this team so special. He mentioned a number of factors that help the team gel so smoothly in practice and in the games. “Diversity” was one of the main factors which the team has — players from Colorado, Nevada, California, Wisconsin, Florida and other states as well as countries like  England and Italy.

“We all came together to play the sport that we love,” said Adams.

He also gave credit to the coaching staff, as many of the players on the rugby team can admit that a lot of the success came from the pinpoint practices that they arrange so we could be ready for the weekend games.

Coach Josh Macy has brought this program from a Division III team to potentially a D-IAA  national championship contender. Rob Guiry, assistant coach of the rugby Yellow Jackets,  has had a huge influence in the program. He has shared his rugby knowledge, helping to improve the mindsets of the players.

The Mayor of Springfield concluded the ceremony with one more announcement: “This day, January 28, 2016, will be known as AIC Men’s Rugby Day in Springfield,” declared Mayor Sarno.