Majors Named Rugby Player of the Year

by Dave Wheelock, Rugby Director

Right: At 2008 Commencement, Matt Majors (left) recieves the Jeremiah Wright Memorial Trophy for New Mexico Tech Rugby Club's Player of the Year from teammate Cody McFarland of Tularosa, New Mexico. Photo by Ande McFarland.

SOCORRO, N.M., May 21, 2008 -- Members of the New Mexico Tech Rugby Football Club have elected Matt Majors the recipient of the Jeremiah Wright Memorial Trophy as Player of the Year for 2007-2008.

Matthew James Majors, the son of Melanie and James Majors, was born in Grants, New Mexico, and attended Los Lunas High School. He began his rugby career during the spring 2003 New Mexico Tech season and played seven of the eight forward positions over his NMT career. Majors, a popular team captain during his senior year, was known for his hard-hitting play and patient confidence in his teammates. He is a 2008 New Mexico Tech mechanical engineering graduate, currently employed by Mosaic Potash Carlsbad Inc. in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

The Jeremiah Wright Trophy has been bestowed annually since 2002 by members of the club to the outstanding New Mexico Tech rugby player. In September of that year incumbent team captain Jeremiah Wright died when the car in which he was a passenger was rammed by a speeding law enforcement vehicle.

Also recognized by their NMT Rugby teammates at a recent ream dinner were:

• Brandon Jay Herrera - Most valuable backline player
• Stephen Graves - Most valuable forward
• Royce Beaudry and Isaiah Sanchez (tie) - Outstanding attacking player
• Bart Hegarty - Outstanding defender and Rising Star (outstanding new player)
• Dustin Webb – Most improved player
• NMT Rugby Club members graduating with bachelor’s degrees in 2007-2008 also include Cody McFarland, Brendan La Counte, and Tory Tadano.

The New Mexico Tech Pygmies posted a four win, three loss, and one tie record in fifteen-man competition during the spring semester. On May 17 they won the men’s open division championship of the Celtic Sevens Tournament over eleven teams from New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.

-NMT-