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| Matt Raguseo in action for The Sting in 2010-2011. |
By: Michael Katz, Seneca Student Sports Reporter
The Seneca Sting Men’s Rugby squad headed into last Thursday’s game against Mohawk very confident and looking for their third win in as many attempts. In their opening two games of the season, The Sting outscored their opponents by a total of 87-6, becoming early threats for an OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) championship.
Leading the way is Matt Raguseo, a Business-Marketing student and a very promising second-year member of The Sting. The leadership and experience he brings to the club is evident from the pre-game scrum to the post-game huddle. But this should be expected – after all, he was a member of Team Canada’s under-seventeen men’s rugby team prior to joining Seneca. According to Bob McArthur, Sting head coach of 13 years, “Matt is the first Senecan rugby player ever to play for Team Canada.”
Perhaps the most admirable trait about Matt is his humble approach to the game, and his willingness to help his team-mates succeed.
Fellow Sting player Jesse Lofthouse (Fire Protection) described Matt and his leadership-style in glowing terms.
“Matt always encourages the team to be better and brings the best out of everyone.”
Raguseo’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed by his team-mates and coaching staff, who successfully nominated and earned him the award for OCAA’s Player of the Week last week. Raguseo registered three tries, five converts and two penalty kicks in a 53-0 win over Conestoga on September 29 at Markham Campus Field.
Raguseo was thrilled with the award, saying “it was unexpected, I didn’t know the team did that until I got some emails and texts, but it’s a huge honour.”
An OCAA All-Star last season, Raguseo deflected all the credit to his team-mates, stating that “rugby requires 15 players to play well.”
The Sting sophomore attributed the award not to how he played but rather to how the team performed on the field.
“He played well last week, his team-mates gave him the opportunity, and he took advantage of it,” said Coach McArthur of Raguseo’s recent on-field contributions.
Despite the success and high praise, Raguseo refuses to let his own personal accomplishments get to his head. His ultimate goal is to win a championship, and he believes this year’s team is on the right path to doing so.
In comparing last year’s 3-3 team that won OCAA bronze to the current roster, he believes the 2011 squad has more depth, a better work ethic and is gelling much better as a unit.
McArthur adds that “the quality of players is significantly better, as a lot of talented experienced players joined the club this season.”
Outside of school, Raguseo and most rugby players in the province take part in various recreational rugby men’s leagues to keep in game-ready shape.
Seneca’s most recent match was yet another positive outing for the team, as they stung Mohawk early and often en route to a 48-10 victory. In case you were wondering, Raguseo managed only four converts for eight points, but that’s the least of Raguseo’s concerns.
“The team played fairly well but made some mistakes that need to be corrected,” said the full-back, always in search of ways to improve his team’s game.
It’s been said that the best players are never satisfied, and with a player like Raguseo, it’s evident that he’s using this philosophy to lead his swarm of bees in the right direction.
The Sting Men's Rugby team plays their final matches of the season
at the Humber Hawks (3-0) on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. and the Fleming Knights (0-3) on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1:00 p.m.
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