Who We Are

Founded in 2004 at the Yale School of Management by Vipan Nikore and Alex Garris.

YGRFC has grown from a SOM-focused club into a team that welcomes graduate and professional students from across Yale University, along with their partners.

We're a diverse group of athletes united by a love of rugby and a commitment to building something worth being part of.

Whether you've played for years or never touched a ball, there's a place for you here.

Matches, tournaments, social events, and a network that lasts well beyond graduation.

Come play.

Alex & Vipan at the 2026 SOM Reunion

Collection of 12 Yale university shield crests representing different schools, including Arts and Sciences, Architecture, Art, Divinity, Drama, Engineering, Forestry, Law, Management, Medicine, Music, Nursing, and Public Health.
Group of men and women in diverse costumes celebrating in a bar with brick walls and holiday decorations.
A rugby player in a striped jersey and shorts is catching a rugby ball during a game. he is extending his arms with both hands towards the ball, which is midair. There are other players in striped jerseys nearby, and trees with autumn foliage in the background.
A woman holding a rugby ball is tackled from behind by another woman during a rugby game, with other players and spectators in the background.

Train Hard.

Play Harder.

Beat Harvard.

Two rugby players celebrate with a trophy at night, lifting it high above their heads, with other players clapping and smiling in the background.

At YGRFC, we do more than just play rugby — we build lifelong friendships, push each other to be stronger, and embrace the unique rugby culture.

Beating Harvard & Our Biggest Rivals

Every year, one of our greatest motivators is taking the field against our biggest competitors. Whether it’s in 7s or 15s, nothing feels better than a hard-fought victory over our longtime rivals.

Training & Working Out Together

We don’t just show up for game day; we put in the work together. Whether it’s team lifts, practice sessions, or conditioning, we push each other to become better athletes and teammates.

Embracing the Rugby Lifestyle

Rugby is about passion and respect for the game. It’s also about camaraderie. Socials after matches, team traditions, and bonding over a shared love of the pitch.

Whether you're here to compete, make memories, or both, you’ll always have a place in this team.

Dues: The YGRFC does have club dues that are applied once a year. Keep your eyes peeled for an email with information on how much your one-off annual dues will be, and how and when to pay. If for any reason you can not pay, we have sponsorship options for you.

(Spoiler: no one will ever be prevented from playing for YGRFC for financial reasons - just talk to us).

Meet the Team and Recent Alumni

  • Ben Halvorsen

    2026-27 President

    SOM Class of 27

  • Shailen Sharma

    2026-27 Men’s Captain

    Yale College ‘26.5

    Yale School of Management’28

  • McKenzie McDermott

    Women’s Captain

  • Thyda Teeda

    Women’s Captain

    Anthropology PhD

  • Jesse Breidenbach

    Tackle Coach

    Yale School of Nursing

  • Tal Scheffer

    Physics PhD

    2026 Social Chair

  • Seb Capanini

    2026 SOM Rep

  • Nancy "Bear" Walker

    School of the Environment Postdoctoral

  • Avital Smotrich-Barr

    Masters in History

  • Charlotte Pieritz

    School of Medicine

  • Emma Ventresca

    School of Management Class of 2028

  • Lula Dalupang

    School of Nursing

  • Luke Stanek

    2026 Alumni Rep

  • John Athanasopoulos

    SOM, Class of 2027

  • Sander Cohen-Janes

    Chemistry PhD

  • Mikkel Borggren

    SOM Class of 2027

  • Andy Young-Eon Ahn

    Neuroscience PhD

  • Nathaniel Braswell

    Cognitive Science PhD

  • Charlie Mihaliak

    SOM Class of 2027

  • Evangel Baxter

    Yale College

  • Deep Patel

    School of Medicine

  • Aminio Vakabiriki

    SOM Class of 2027

  • Dev Nandyala

    Computational Biology Masters

  • Riley Waters

    School of the Environment PhD

  • Leo Forest

    SOM Class of 2027

  • Anna Budaeva

    SOM Class of 2027

  • Charlie Hoffman

    Jackson School of Public Affairs, Class of 2027

  • Abishek Suresh

    SOM Class of 2027

  • Cameron Hogg

    Yale College

  • Blake Long

    Divinity School

  • A young man with brown hair, wearing a navy and white striped sports jersey and white shorts, standing outdoors with blurred trees in the background.

    Aaron "Flying Squirrel" Baker

    Yale PhD Psychology 2028

    Men’s Coach

  • Jess Eden

    Jess Eden

    Social Chair

    Yale Post Doc

  • Young woman with glasses standing outdoors near a black metal fence, smiling, holding a yellow item, with greenery and trees in the background.

    Izzy Lawrence

    Social Chair

    Yale Postdoctoral Associate

  • A young person smiling outdoors, wearing a striped sports jersey.

    Jungwon "Pikachu" Lee

    Yale Alumni Lead

    Yale PhD Genetics

  • A man with curly red hair and a beard, smiling, standing outdoors with arms crossed, wearing a white and navy blue striped rugby shirt.

    Conor "The Hammer" Ó Síocháin

    Yale PhD Statistics

    Position: Forward

  • A young man with brown hair and a suit, smiling outdoors against a stone wall.

    Wulf "Brick" Scouller

    Yale PhD History

    Position: Back

  • A man with light brown hair smiling, wearing a white and dark blue striped rugby shirt, seated outdoors on grass.

    Dan "The Man" Gaulzetti

    Yale Mercenary

  • William Roberts

    2025-2026 Club President

    Postdoctoral Fellow, NCSP and MD

    Position: Whatever he wants

  • Portrait of a young female rugby player wearing a navy and white jersey, with an emblem on the chest, outdoors with a blurred autumn background.

    Christina "Speedster" Oh

    Yale Masters of Arts

    Women’s+ Coach

  • Smiling woman with curly hair in an indoor setting with brick walls.

    Tia Graham

    Women’s+ Coach

  • A man with light brown hair and a beard wearing a black suit and a tie, standing in front of a brick wall with a sign that partially reads 'JAM'.

    Keith "Quad Daddy" Schmidt

    Yale Mercenary

    Men’s Coach

    Position: Forward

  • A man with dark hair, a beard, and a black cap smiling, wearing a multicolored puffer jacket with shades of red, orange, and yellow, inside a church with stained glass windows in the background.

    Nevaan "Rickshaw" Perera

    Men’s Coach

    Position: Back

  • A man with a beard and dark hair wearing a striped blue and white rugby shirt.

    Fredy Bonilla

    Social Media

    Yale Masters of Music

  • Man standing outdoors with arms crossed, wearing a blue and white striped sports jersey, in front of trees.

    Rudy Cordero

    Recruitment Lead

    Yale College 2024 & Yale SOM 2025

    Position: Foward

  • A female rugby player holding a rugby ball during a game, with her hair flying in the wind and teammates grabbing her arm.

    Amanda "Quad Mother" Cordero

    Yale Mercenary

    Position: Wing

  • Young woman running with a rugby ball during a game, wearing a striped sports uniform, outdoors with blurred spectators and trees in the background.

    Shankeri "Slay Queen" Vijayakumar

    Conditioning Coach

    Yale School of Public Health

  • A female rugby player wearing a navy blue and white striped jersey, holding a rugby ball, running outdoors with a blurred background.

    Bri "Beast" Edmunds

    Social Chair

    Yale School of Public Health

  • A young woman with long brown hair, wearing pearl earrings and a black floral blouse, smiling at the camera against a plain light gray background.

    Sarah Abdallah

    Yale College 2014 & Yale School of Medicine 2020

  • A young woman with long blonde hair, glasses, and a black top, standing in front of a dark green background, wearing a plaid scarf and smiling.

    Ellen "Egg Head" de Vries

    Yale School of Public Health

  • Rugby player with a yellow mouthguard on a rugby field.

    Trevor Brokowski

    Yale PhD Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

    Position: Wing

  • A young woman in a rugby uniform holding a rugby ball against a fall-colored outdoor background.

    Annie "Fighter" Shen

    Yale School of Nursing

  • A close-up portrait of a young woman with long dark hair, smiling and wearing a black top, set against a background of white blinds and a blue wall.

    Taylor Braunstein

    Yale School of Public Health MpH

  • A young woman with long black hair standing outdoors

    Christina Meng

    Yale PhD Mathematics

  • Female athlete in a blue and white sports jersey reaching forward during a game.

    Tai "Brutal" Davidson Bajandas

    Yale PhD American Studies

  • A young man with brown hair and a beard wearing a gray suit, white shirt, and brown tie, sitting indoors near a window with a cityscape in the background.

    Anders Berg

    Yale School of Management 2025

  • A young man in a light gray blazer and blue shirt, smiling at the camera.

    Tola " The Wrecker" Gbadamosi

    Yale School of Public Health 2024

  • Portrait of a young man with light hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue blazer and white shirt, standing in front of a modern office building with large windows.

    Andrew Erbs

    Yale School of Management 2026

  • Man wearing a white baseball cap with a USA flag, glasses, and a striped shirt, sitting in front of a wooden background.

    Clifford Chambliss

    Yale Divinity School 2025

  • Young man wearing a rugby jersey standing outdoors in a park with trees in the background.

    Rahul Shah

    Yale Master of Environmental Management 2026

  • A young man with short light hair and a friendly smile, wearing a blue shirt, outdoors with blurred trees and sunlight in the background.

    Dylan "Dominate" Morse

    Yale School of the Environment 2026

  • A man with light brown hair and a mustache stands outdoors in front of trees, wearing a navy and white striped rugby shirt.

    Kaspar "The Ghost" Mazeika

    Yale Postgraduate Associate

  • Portrait of a young man with curly dark hair, light skin, and a neutral expression, lying on a bed with a white background.

    Hugo "French Whip" Koubbi

    Yale Visiting Student

  • Smiling man with glasses and a beard outdoors in a park, wearing a navy quilted jacket and a collared shirt.

    Durante Barringer

    Yale Divinity School 2026

  • A young man in a rugby jersey stands outdoors with arms crossed, smiling at the camera. He is in a park with trees in the background.

    Michael Vargas

    Yale University Computer Science

  • Young woman standing outdoors with arms crossed, wearing a gray athletic jacket and a dark blue waterproof jacket, with trees in the background.

    Maia "Caprese" Béar

    Alumni & Former President

    Yale PhD Medieval Studies 2025

    Position: Flanker/Menace

    Motto: don’t piss me off

  • Young man smiling outdoors wearing a rugby jersey with crossed arms.

    Nick Loxton

    SOM Liason

    Yale School of Management 2026

  • An athlete in a blue and yellow sports uniform with a helmet, standing on an indoor sports court with red and yellow poles in the background.

    Sarah "MJ" Mahoney

    Yale School of Medicine & School of Public Health

Contact us

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