The 2024 fall season has started for Colgate Rugby and their new head coach and Director of Rugby Elaine Vassie. Vassie joined the program this year, bringing experience and fresh ideas after playing rugby in England’s competitive adult leagues.
“Having previously played county-level netball, club-level hockey and college and club tennis, [rugby] seemed like a great blend of skill sets and a different physical challenge,” Vassie explained.
Vassie began her coaching career in 2007 with the Manchester Village Spartans, and then became a coach educator and started coaching the National League men’s side for Manchester from 2009 to 2011. Vassie traveled to Italy to both coach and coach educators and later came to the United States to coach the men’s Red River Conference D1 team, the Dallas Griffins. Vassie then returned to the U.K. to work with the Scotland women for the 2015-2016 Six Nations campaign and then the European 7s, where they earned a bronze medal.
Vassie returned to the United States in 2018 and spent two seasons as Director of Rugby and Men’s Head Coach for the Dallas Harlequins. She moved to Major League Rugby and was the Assistant General Manager and attack coach of the Dallas Jackals before being promoted to general manager. After her stint with the Jackals, Vassie found herself looking to relocate to upstate New York, and Colgate felt like a perfect fit.
“Reading through Colgate’s values, especially the recognition of the value in diversity, facilitating habits of mind, and bold ambition, I felt there was a natural alignment there,” Vassie said. “Meeting [Director of Physical Education and Recreation] CJ [Molina], the rugby alumni and players through spring 2024, I felt this extended beyond just words on paper and that there was the opportunity to work together to build something special that truly contributes to the university and student experience both in their time at Colgate and long after they graduate.”
Players have greatly appreciated what Vassie and the two assistant rugby coaches have brought to the Colgate rugby program. The coaches have implemented a new strength and conditioning program to reduce injuries and improve player performance. They have also connected with student health services, counseling services and career services to build a more holistic program to support students on and off the field.
“We are so grateful to our coaches Elaine, Jeff [Rudy] and Sam [Tancredi] for stepping up to help lead our long-standing program and take it in a new direction that prioritizes players as overall athletes and will minimize injuries and burnout in the sport we all love,” sophomore Teagan Mabrysmith said.
“She’s hired a fantastic staff around her, including two assistant coaches, a dedicated strength and conditioning program, and even a film coach based in England who breaks down our footage. Every practice is structured with a clear, distinct goal and she brings great leadership and organization to every session,” sophomore Luke Rosenzweig said.
Other players have highlighted the usefulness of the new online program for watching film as it helps with communication between coaches and players.
Senior Molly Abruzzese described the advantages of Vassie’s coaching style.
“[Vassie is] a lot more communicative than past coaches’, as she uses an online platform to post film and clips directly to the team, which helps players understand the game and our attack and defensive structures,” Abruzzese said.
Vassie and the players made their excitement clear for this upcoming season. The team is very young but shows promise, and players are ready and eager for the year ahead. Both the men’s and women’s teams have already played games this season and are looking forward to their future competitions.
