University of Delaware Men's Rugby Names Stephen Sanchez Head Coach

The University of Delaware named former captain Stephen Sanchez as the Head Coach of the Men’s team.

Stephen is from Brooklyn, New York and attended Xavier High School from 2005-2009. While there, he played rugby from 2007-2009, with the team winning the National Championship in 2007. He achieved Met NY All-Star honors from 2007-2009. He also played football from 2005-2008.

He attended the University of Delaware from 2009-2013, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. He played rugby from 2009-2013 and was the team’s XVs captain in 2013. He also played rugby sevens from 2010-2013 and played in the Collegiate Rugby Championship in 2013. The team was third in the U.S. in 2012 and won the Plate Championship in 2013 at the CRCs. Individual honors included All-Star selection for the EPRU and MARFU from 2010-2012.

Stephen played club rugby with New York Athletic Club’s Sevens team from 2011-2017 and the XVs from 2013-2019. In 2015 the team won the Division 1 National XVs Championship.

Coaching Career

Stephen returned to Xavier High School and was the team’s JV Forwards Coach in 2014, 2016, and 2017. From 2018-2019, he became the JV Head Coach.

He now returns to the University of Delaware as the Head Men’s Rugby Coach for the 2019-2020 season. The team will be playing int he D1AA MARC Conference.

What does it mean to be University of Delaware Head Coach? What are expectations in playing in the D1AA MARC?

“I’m extremely humbled and excited to become UD’s new head coach this upcoming season. I have immense pride in this program in being a former player and look forward to adding some new energy to the club culture and bringing our program to new heights. The team leaders and I are eager to get some other former UD players involved with the program as we begin this new chapter in UDRFC history.”

“With us moving to a new conference, our coaching staff is ready for the challenge to compete in the MARC. We will be looking to set the tone for 80 minutes against some old and new opponents with the experience gained competing in D1A. The MARC boasts some quality rugby programs and we cannot wait to see how we measure up against them. The expectations between the coaching staff and leaders are to perform at a high level both on and off the pitch for 7s and 15s, and our goal is to be champions in both. Our players are beginning their off-season workouts and our coaching staff is getting ready to provide proper instruction and motivation. We are looking to enter this new conference with a bang.”

Why should prospective recruits come to the University of Delaware?

“Rising Juniors and Seniors should be looking at the University of Delaware if they are looking to expand their horizons. In terms of academics, the University of Delaware provides a top-notch education with a state of the art campus that keeps improving and adding new academic options for our students. Our top programs are Engineering, Nursing, and Business with over 150 programs available. We have over 18,000 students enrolled annually with campus buildings conveniently located close enough to living quarters on and off-campus to give it a very close neighborhood feel. In terms of the alumni network, the University of Delaware does an amazing job to provide multiple opportunities for current students to network with alumni for job opportunities as well as bringing alumni back together for fun events in their local areas as well as back at UD.”

“When it comes to UD rugby, our program is based on providing an experience that will leave an everlasting mark on every player that sticks with the program. No matter if you have 4+ years of experience or none at all, what you will receive from our rugby program is a high quality and fun rugby experience, a brotherhood culture that will last a lifetime, and access to a unique and diverse alumni network that look to provide opportunities for fellow UD ruggers to continue to grow post-UD.”

“If you are interested, please fill out a recruitment form on www.delawarerugby.com so either myself or our Captain/Recruitment Chair Luke Persanis can reach out to you. We encourage all prospective students to visit the campus for an official visit and then come by and meet our players and support us during one of our home games. The best way to find out if you want to be a Fightin’ Blue Hen is by experiencing it first-hand with the rugby program!”