First year Senior  

On a crisp unusual cool mid-May day, senior Isaac Bowman is standing first in line accompanied by his parents awaiting the rugby senior night festivities. Senior day is normally a day where the team celebrates their seniors who have been in the program for the last few years to thank them for their contributions.  Well Bowman is a little bit different, this wasn’t his second, third, or fourth year in the program, it was his first year in the program, and also the first year in the sport of rugby. Bowman is also a first year varsity starter. Which in the game of rugby is a rare occasion.  

“I started to play as a senior because I had been playing lacrosse up until this year, and rugby was something I wanted to try” Bowman said “I also had a lot of friends on the football team that wanted me to play.” 

Bowman can thank his friends for getting him to play because he has excelled in his first year. Someone who was very happy and thankful that Bowman’s friends got him to play was his Head Coach Matt Kwiatkowski.  

“In the first year of playing rugby it can be very difficult” Kwiatkowski said “Bowman has picked it up very quick, and is always listening and trying to get better, his skills has been a huge asset to the team this year.” 

Remember how Bowman was FIRST in line for senior night festivities? Clearly he and his play has made an impression amongst his coaches and teammates. It also shows the caliber of a player he is to be put first in line.  

“My favorite thing about playing rugby is that it differs from football” Bowman said “in rugby everyone gets to run the ball, tackle, and Score. In football unless you’re really fast and skinny you don’t get to run the ball and score.”  

Bowman is definitely making the most out of his opportunity of getting to run the ball, having scored on multiple occasions throughout the year.  Rugby is very much a team sport, all 15 players have to be good at a lot of different skills for the team to win.  They can’t just specialize in one position they all have to run, pass, and tackle. The HSE Rugby Team is very happy to have first year senior Isaac Bowman as 1 of those 15 men that’s out on the field.  Story by Tyler Groves