Hermits focused as rugby season begins

When Rocco Pustizzi first stepped onto the rugby field at Saint Augustine Preparatory School in Richland, he could sense a winning tradition.

“It’s really special,” said Pustizzi, now a senior. “My freshman year coming onto the team, I could see a strong brotherhood. Everyone cares about each other. I’d do anything for my brothers on this team. It’s a bond.”

The Hermits rugby program, which includes the 7-on-7 team in the fall and the traditional 15-on-15 in the spring, has reached the pinnacle of the sport in the state of New Jersey numerous times. And as the only high school rugby program in South Jersey, the Hermits have taken the long bus rides to battle the North Jersey powers. 

In the spring, Saint Augustine Prep 15’s celebrated their seventh state title. The much newer Rugby 7’s have won five state championships since joining in 2015, but were dethroned last year by Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft.

“We have a pretty prestigious program,” said senior captain Jack Olivo. “But last year, our title got taken by CBA. But we’re getting the team back into shape, and we’re working and we’re striving to win that championship again this year for 7’s.”

It takes a lot of commitment to make it happen. Players like Olivo play almost year-round, giving his body a short break in the winter to endure even more sandpaper on the wrestling mats for Saint Augustine Prep.  

“There are still some [rugby] events and tournaments in the winter, too,” Olivo said. “In the summer, I do a mix between 7’s and 15’s at Atlantis [Rugby Corporation]. It’s a national program that has really shaped me up to what I am now. But I like to say, ‘It never ends. The grind continues’. I want to push myself to be the best person that I can be.”

Olivo is part of a strong senior class that is hoping to reclaim glory later this fall. He’s part of an even more exclusive group that started playing rugby before high school. With very few clubs in South Jersey, Olivo considers himself quite lucky.

“All my friends that I played football and wrestled with, and dads that started a wrestling program in Washington Township, we all picked it up together,” he said. “I made some good friends there.”

Pustizzi was a football player who gave rugby a shot in the spring of his freshman year. It altered his course permanently.

“I played football in middle school but when I got here, my older cousin had played and he recommended rugby to me in the spring because football was in the fall,” Pustizzi said. “I started playing rugby and absolutely loved it. I stopped playing football to play rugby (7’s) in the fall as well.”

Head coach Michael Gunn comes from an even stronger rugby background. He grew up in England, where rugby was a mandatory gym class in elementary school. He is supported by assistant coaches Pat Doherty and Uriah Whtye, who both graduated from Saint Augustine Prep in 2019. That year, the Hermits won both the 7’s and 15’s state championships. 

There’s a winning tradition at every corner of the program.

“It’s kind of a good feeling being the target,” Pustizzi said. “We’re the team to go through. It’s a confidence-booster.”

The Hermits officially opened their season on Sept. 21 in a tournament at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, nearly two hours away. They will go to Unami Park in Cranford for their next tournament, which is Sept. 28. At least the Hermits don’t need a bus ride for daily practices, which are held on campus at Goralski Field. That’s where champions and lifelong bonds are made.

“Every day, we come out to practice, and everyone wants to work for each other,” Pustizzi said. “It’s more than getting the win for yourself. We all want to see each other succeed – and be on the top together.”