Congratulations to this month’s Alumni of the month, Matt Kasten.
When did you play?
2013-2017
What position did you play?
Wing, some fullback. Anything far from the scrum.
What was your favorite memory as a member of the club?
Like everyone else who is asked this question, I have a difficult time labeling one memory as my favourite, but it is tough to top our first Collegiate Rugby Championship in 2014. The weeks of training leading up to the tournament were some of the best times, and I am certain my fitness will never reach the same level it was at that point. Each day Stu would run us ragged with hill sprints, helipad stairs, or some HIIT circuit for an hour before practice and then the real fitness would begin.
When the tournament rolled around we were a well oiled 7s machine, and the trust between each player was tremendous. Assuming I stayed in bounds on the wing (big assumption), there was no real chink in our armor.
People finally started to notice us after we ran through Texas and upset Navy. Our nationally televised win over Ohio State made the whole weekend pretty surreal. Sequoyah giving the fend to 34-year-old ex-con and father of two Santino Cua and going for a 50m try is one of many highlights from that game (find it on our YouTube channel). Everyone who was at that CRC knows we were robbed against Kutztown in the quarters as well.
Furthermore, the support from the community that weekend was remarkable. Despite Michigan being 600 miles away, we had one of the largest and easily the rowdiest supporters section. I recall Perp leading everyone in some kind of roller coaster simulation while wearing a clone trooper helmet. Pure gold. Also amazing to see that the fan support for the CRCs in 2015 and 2016 did not diminish.
Did you receive any special honors as part of the club
Was fortunate enough to be selected freshman of the year and then all-Big Ten my junior year. Serving as team president in 2016 and earning admin of the year was another highlight. Glad to have been a part of the group that conceived the idea of the Michigan Rugby Foundation, along with Travis Sawyer, Nate Fisher, Coach Sparks, the SAC, and others. Shoutout to the MRF for their great work.
What are you doing now?
Bumming it in Ann Arbor with the rest of the townies – i.e. working in the university development office. I make occasional appearances on the pitch when my legs agree to work. I enjoy staying involved with the club through the SAC, olde boys weekend planning, teaching the young boys how to play Super Smash Bros, etc. I’ve recently been helping a little more with my high school club, Dexter Devils RFC. Occasionally I attempt to golf and it goes poorly.
Any other interesting stories?
So many things come to mind it’s tough to sort my thoughts. The 2015 Costa Rica Tour and 2016 Cayman Tour provide too many to count. Late nights at black house, other house, and all the other houses. Having a perfect 0-9 record at Snowball in Kzoo. Staying at the sketchiest of motels the midwest had to offer for away games and 7s tournaments. Spending days at MIS for our NASCAR fundraiser and eating the leftover pizza from the stands. That one night the hot tub at other house worked and then broke the next morning. Destroying said hot tub with the sledge hammer years later. Nek noms. Golf outings. Yamming at the feed. Etc, etc, etc. I’d list some of the legends I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, but the list is too long and I hate leaving people out.
