April 4, 2024 – Story by Ava DiCecca, photos by Jaime Connolly
Hingham rugby will look to make up in heart what they lack in numbers as they have a small but determined and energetic team this season. As a town that is still new to varsity rugby, Head Coach Peter Condrick and his team have all been working hard to establish a Hingham program that is able to thrive and compete at a high level. This year, with a lot of experience and character, they are hoping to get themselves into the playoffs and learn as much as they can from every game on the schedule, continuing to propel the program.
Coach Condrick is beyond excited to begin the season and to see how his team performs. Despite small numbers, they will have a lot of strengths this year both with their speed on the field, their character, and in their competitive ambitions. While they have many strengths that will help them greatly this season, Condrick is aiming to build in many areas as well. He is looking to improve in “hitting the contact area smartly when we have to and avoiding it when we can” and he will capitalize on the strength of his captains and seasoned players to be able to accomplish this. As far as his expectations and season goals, he commented that “the boys understand what it is going to take and they are committed to what we have to do so I’m excited…rugby isn’t one of those games where numbers is always a winning factor. It’s about heart, courage, and integrity and our program prides itself on instilling those in the boys first.” Specifically, he mentioned his strong and experienced captains Nic Souza and Jakub Wozny, as well as Mike McNabb, Joe Schirmer, and Cole Ackerman who will be huge for them this year but he stated that it will be a team effort with many players having big roles to fill.
Wozny was also very excited for the upcoming season and was ready for the road to the playoffs. He is looking to be at or above .500 this year which will qualify them for the playoffs and he is hoping the win column will include Marshfield in at least one of their games. Wozny believes that they are at Marshfield’s competitive level and hopes to come out on the winning end of that close match up this year. As a captain, Wozny is hoping to lead that charge stating, “I want to lead people and leading by example I’d say is the most important part.” He wants to have fun and build up the energy with a new group this year while also winning games and keeping their playoff goals in mind.
Souza was in a similar state of mind as Wozny and embodied the same excitement to begin the season. As a captain this year he is looking to be a facilitator and step up and play any position, filling any gaps in their game that could’ve hurt them this year. With a small team, they will need this kind of leadership, flexibility, and willingness to do whatever the team needs to succeed. He seemed confident going into this year and is also striving for a playoff record but more than anything he was just ready to play and enjoy his last season. Having been here since his freshman year when rugby became a varsity sport, he is looking to finish his time with the program how he started. He commented, “I’m pretty excited to be able to have my fourth year with these kids and be able to continue the program with the experience we have been able to pick up over the past few years.”
Condrick and his captains are all taking a very positive approach to the upcoming season hoping their string mindset, hard work, and desire to win will end in great success for them. Record and playoff aspirations aside, they are all excited at the opportunity to grow and compete, coach Condrick stating “we either win or we learn.” They are anxious to start the season and use the chemistry of this small team to achieve personal and team goals this year. Condrick hopes with his captains leading by example and a strong team to grow along with them, the smaller numbers will not be a setback. Instead, they will look at it as an opportunity for even stronger team chemistry and individualized goals and growth.