With the same core coaching staff in place for the last 19 years, it would appear the Marauders rugby program is doing something right.
Since 2006, the Belmont boys rugby team has been headed by Greg Bruce, who is assisted by three others.
“We love the game and what it [has] provided for us,” said Bruce. “Over 50% of our seniors play rugby at the top [colleges] in the country.”
According to Bruce, roughly 12% of the school’s student population plays rugby between the boys and girls teams, which are also supported by parent boards.
As of April 17, the Marauders began their 2025 campaign with a 3-0-1 mark in the Commonwealth Rugby Conference and were preparing for a trip to Italy during spring break. They are hoping to do better than last year, when they were bounced from the state playoffs in the quarterfinals.
“The players every year want to compete for a state title,” said Bruce, whose Marauders most recently won the state championship in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
To get back to the top, Belmont will rely on senior captain Billy Hendrickson.
“He’s a big part of our team,” Bruce said of his flanker. “He’s a big defender. He averages 17 tackles per game, which is unheard of.”
Belmont will also ride the shoulders of senior Jack Townsend, the team’s vice captain and fly half who orchestrates the team’s attack.
Other key returners include seniors Colin Green and Josh Christensen, and junior Enzo Passos.
Bruce said fans should keep an eye out on newcomers Justin Giroux, a sophomore who’s playing “very, very well” and “is having a huge impact,” and junior Iggy De La Fuente.
Bruce said he’s confident he and his staff can prepare their players for what he believes will be a lot of close games as the postseason nears.
“I know what they are looking for,” he said. “The margins are going to be very small. We have some big games coming up. The better team will prevail and I hope it’s going to be us.”
