‘Once a Tommie, always a Tommie’: STU men’s rugby team honours grads

Connor Craig, graduating STU player received his framed jersey and mug at the game. (Submitted: Nicolas De L'Eveille)

The St. Thomas University (STU) men’s rugby team played its second-to-last game of the season against Mount Allison University (MTA) on Oct. 18 at College Field.

The Tommies recognized the graduating members of the club before the match, fourth-year manager Nicolas De L’Eveille and fourth-year loosehead Connor Craig.

A short ceremony took place in which De L’Eveille presented Craig a framed STU jersey that said “once a Tommie, always a Tommie” at the bottom of the frame.

“I knew there was going to be some kind of ceremony going on there, but had no idea I was going to get anything from it,” said Craig. “So I felt honoured about that, that they'd go far to get me a jersey and a nice beer mug here as well.”

The majority of the game was played in the STU zone. In the second half, the Tommies brought the gameplay into the opposing side with multiple breaks down the field. De L’Eveille thinks that the team’s improving “communication” led to the aggressive attacks.

Despite multiple chances, the Tommies were unable to score against the tough MTA defence, losing 70-0.

“I was disappointed. But at the end, the guys tried hard, they did a lot of things to right the ship a little bit—defence got a little bit tighter, better passes got made overall. I can't be upset with them,” said De L’Eveille. “It’s a young team, so for a lot of guys it’s their first year playing rugby, so I can't get mad at the guys. It sucks that we didn't score, but I'm so proud of the guys, they still kept in there.”

De L’Eveille played for the team for two years. Before coming to STU, he had been a member of the Loyalists Rugby Club.

After experiencing arthritis, lower back and head injuries that sidelined him, he took on managerial duties for the team. 

He became responsible for the club’s social media, helped with injuries and made the game rosters. He also coached the forwards this season.

He is appreciative of the support Head Coach Kyle Leavitt gave him during his role.

Leavitt is wrapping up his second year as the men’s rugby coach. This is the first time he will need to find someone to fill the managerial role now that De L’Eveille is moving on.

“He brought to the table a level of maturity and commitment that was required for a team manager to be effective, but more importantly, to inspire others to believe in themselves … he does bring the example, the charisma and the passion for the sport, which really helps with the club,” said Leavitt. 

Similarly, Leavitt thinks losing Craig will leave a gap in the club. He described him as a cornerstone of the team’s scrum due to his size and power and added that his “maturity and no-give-up attitude” was important for the team.

“We can't replicate the same level of experience, commitment and performance that Connor brought readily. But we do have other guys who can slide into that role now and become the primary and give them the chance to evolve and be good players,” he said.

Connor thinks that being a Tommie is great because being a smaller group, they connect more as a team compared to bigger clubs. He said it will be hard to move on and say goodbye to his teammates. 

Despite leaving the STU men’s rugby program, De L’Eveille is still proud to be a Tommie and hopes to make games in the future.

He thinks that even when he wasn’t playing on the field, he was a strong member of the club. He hopes his impact as a manager helps build the next group of players.

“I'm proud of what I've been able to do and I look forward to seeing the program continue and thrive. And you know, hopefully there's a championship, that they can go for a run for a championship.”