HISTORY
The Wildcat Rugby Football Club began in the spring of 2005 on the shores of Lake Erie, when a group of 20 boys practiced at Edgewater Park and played their matches at the Cuyahoga County Airport. Founded by Dan Arbeznik and led by 3 young alumni coaches, the program initially operated independently as the “Ohio City Warriors” after being told there was no room for rugby at Saint Ignatius High School, yet it steadily grew by drawing enthusiastic players from the boys at West 30th and Lorain.
In 2013, that perseverance was rewarded when Father Bill Murphy, S.J., formally welcomed the team into the Saint Ignatius athletic family, transforming the 'Warriors' into the 'Wildcats' and recognizing rugby as the school’s 17th varsity sport. Since then, the program has achieved remarkable on-field success, earning ten Ohio State Championships and two National Championships, sending alumni to collegiate programs across the country, representing the USA on the international stage, and even seeing former Wildcats like Juan Pen ’18 and Ricky Rose ’19 selected in the 2023 Major League Rugby Draft.
More important than trophies, however, is the way rugby has shaped the lives of players, families, and the broader community. Our teams have competed across the USA. Since the inaugural tour of Ireland in 2015, hundreds of Wildcats and their parents have experienced the world through the unique lens of rugby—praying at Easter Mass on Croagh Patrick, walking the sands of Normandy Beach in France, navigating the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, singing late-night karaoke in Tokyo, competing in South Africa, touring the Alhambra in Spain and building friendships in Buenos Aires.
