MEN'S RUGBY

Introduction

Bob Weggler has been involved with the game of rugby for more than 30 years. Weggler has 22 years of collegiate coaching experience, including stints at Cornell University, Amherst College, Colby College and now Norwich University, where he began in fall 2001. This past fall his men's club competed in the recently re-configured NERFU Div. I Collegiate Rugby League. Norwich qualified for this new, more competitive league by placing fourth in NERFU Championships in fall 2006, behind West Point, Boston College and Harvard.

Coaching Career Highlights

In the spring of Coach Weggler's inaugural year at Norwich, the men's team was victorious against the University of Texas in an invitational tournament hosted by the University of California-Berkeley. That fall, Norwich captured the New England Rugby Football Union Collegiate  Division I Green League Crown. A year later, in fall 2003, the men placed second at the Northeast Rugby Union Championships, qualifying for the USA Rugby National Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history. That spring they traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo., to compete in the USA Rugby Sweet Sixteen tournament, bowing to Brigham Young University before defeating Texas A&M in the consolation match. During his time at Colby College, Weggler took the team to back-to-back U.S.A. Rugby Collegiate Div. II Final Four National Championship in 1999 and 2000, placing fourth in the nation each time.

Director of Rugby

As the Director of rugby, Weggler has supervised two rugby tours to Ireland. The Norwich women traveled to the Emerald Isle in spring 2002, and the men in spring 2004. In addition, in 2004 he supervised the hiring of Austin Hall, the Norwich women's coach. In June 2007, Hall's position became full-time. In spring 2008, the women returned to USA Rugby's Elite 8 in Albuquerque, N.M. as the third-seeded team. In spring 2007 the women traveled to Stanford, Calif., for the Nationals, placing third. They beat Western Oregon and lost to Iowa St. in the Final Four.

Varsity Status Attained

Weggler is most proud after his seven years at helm at Norwich University for bringing both the men's and women's teams to varsity status (fall 2008) as well as assisting Hall and Athletic Director Tony Mariano with Norwich's women's program becoming an Emerging NCAA Sport. In addition, Weggler was recently selected to serve on the board of the newly formed Vermont Youth Rugby Association.

Educational Leadership

Before coming to Norwich University, Weggler was a math teacher for more than 22 years at the middle and high school levels. He holds a USA Rugby Level III Coaching Certificate and is a participant in USA Rugby's Elite Coaching Development Program. He holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Vermont College of Union Institute and University and a B.S. from Cornell University.