The 2022 Volunteer Rugby Gala & Awards Banquet was held on Saturday, April 30 at the Knoxville Convention Center with over 150 in attendance.

Scholarships were awarded to returning student athletes, year-end awards were presented, and three were inducted into the Captain’s Circle.

2021-2022 SENIORS
Graham Wallace (graduate 2021), Braxton Heard (graduate 2021), Lantz Williams (graduate 2021), Austin White, Chris Fisher, Timmy Yeager, Jack Ambrose, Greg Janowick, Will Ring*, Tom Pelini, Luke Davies, Marcus McClain *

AWARDS CEREMONY
Captain’s Circle
Rob Halcomb
Mark Wenger
Ric Mellon
Full details are available here >>

Sexton Scholarship
Josh Shetler
Kevin Thomas
Grayson Wallace
Full details are available here >>

Resiliency Scholarship
Greg Giangiulio
Full details are available here >>

Scholar Athlete of the Year – Will Ring
Honors the student athlete that have not only performed at a high level on the rugby field but also has achieved a high level of academic excellence in the classroom.

Volunteer Award – Chris Fisher
This award honors the player that continually displays a heart for giving and volunteerism and has a demonstrated characteristic of freely giving to help the team.

Character and Sportsmanship Award – Kevin Thomas
Honors the student athlete that has exhibited a high level of character and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Hartley Award for Inspirational Leadership – Marcus McClain
Named after one of the most prolific and vocal leaders to ever pull on a Tennessee jersey, this award recognizes that teammate that has the ability to lift a team with both his performance and his communication.

Shaw Award for Dedication & Service – Tom Pelini
Named for most dedicated men ever to play rugby for Tennessee. This award recognizes the player’s commitment and devotion to the team both on and off the field. Many times they are doing the work behind the scenes that are so critical for our success as a team and club.

Ironman
Luke Davies
Braxton Heard
Austin White
Greg Janowick
Will Ring
Marcus McClain
Tom Pelini
Full Details are available here >>

MVP 15s – Greg Janowick

MVP 7s – Garrett Moorman

Player of the Year – Braxton Heard