Built on brutal physicality and constant action, rugby is one of the world’s most popular sports, but in America, opportunities are limited. At Syracuse University, a partnership between Ireland’s Leinster Academy and the club team is changing that. For captain Patrick Hefright, a lifelong hockey player, the draw to rugby was never the glory. It’s the brotherhood and culture of the sport, and it’s why he’s chasing a shot at the Major League Rugby draft and building a pathway that didn’t exist for him.
Syracuse club rugby senior captain pushes down the pitch as Harvard players attempt to stop him during their match on Oct. 18, 2025, at Ballentine Field. Despite getting a late start in rugby, he hasn’t allowed this to stop him from pursuing his passion. For him, this is more than a game, it’s an escape, making all the work worth it. “Whenever I'm on the pitch, it's just been therapeutic, in a sense. I don't have to think about anything, I just have to think about playing rugby.”
Training is a constant for Patrick, who works out every day, either with the team or alone. With limited institutional and financial support for American rugby, Patrick must rely on self-discipline and motivation to continue pursuing his dreams, even at the professional level, where players train with their team for only a short period each year.
Through youth clinics and Leinster School of Excellence Camps, Patrick has embraced a mentorship role, driven by a desire to give back to a sport that reshaped his own path. On April 9, 2026, the team hosted its first inter-school flag rugby festival, introducing more than 120 Syracuse students to the sport. “It’s so easy for me to support all the events we do because of how I was raised. I enjoy giving back to others, and I think seeing the smile on their faces makes it all worth it… It’s so much fun to just work with others and make the community a better place, and I have met so many fantastic people in my time.”
During a match against American International College, Patrick prepares for a scrum on Oct. 25, 2026. Rugby’s physical nature creates deeper bonds between Patrick and his teammates, who put their bodies on the line for each other every day. “I have so much respect for people that are actually gonna just get out on the field with me and put their bodies on the line. When you see that when you see someone that you just met three weeks ago go and get absolutely crunched, you're just like, damn. I love you.”
As part of their effort to establish their team as part of the local community, they actively participate in ways that don’t center around rugby, such as serving food to parishioners at All Saints Church. For Patrick, this isn’t just community service. It’s about supporting the work the program has already done to push rugby in the right direction in the States. “If we give up, we lose everything Collie worked for.”
Off the field, Patrick balances a 22-credit course load while preparing for a career with KMPG. Unlike their European counterparts, American professional rugby players must hold a second job to financially support themselves and their families, highlighting the role passion for the sport plays in the decision to go pro.
Teammates laugh during a team nutrition session on Nov. 17, 2025. Patrick attributes the team's deep bond to the time they spend together in training, community events, and team-building activities, as well as to the physical sacrifice the sport demands. “I've known them for fractions of the time that I've known others, and I would take my problems or any questions that I have or conversations that I want to have to them before a lot of my friends. Because it's like, these guys get me because we have that experience of just being together.”
During an early-morning lift at the Barnes Center, Patrick reflects on all the demands it has taken to get to this point. Behind the scenes, this journey has been the result of countless hours of training, community service, and academic dedication, but he would do it again to discover his love for the sport and its participants.
Head Coach Colin O’Hare chases Patrick down during their partnership with CNY Adaptive to play wheelchair rugby on Apr. 4, 2026. Through their partnership with Leinster, the Syracuse Rugby team now implements a European-style development model focused on long-term growth and building community culture and pride in the local teams. A mission that feeds Patrick’s passion for the sport.
