Dedicated To A Passion For Rugby

Photo by Kevin Quinn
Tim Quinn, right, is pictured with teammate Luke Persanis after winning the Rugby New York State final for the boys Division I Tier II group.

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

One of the decisions leading Tim Quinn to attend St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington was the school’s esteemed football program.

“I played football since I was 10 and their program was really good, so I wanted to further my career,” Quinn, now 18, said. When he entered the school as a freshman, he also lined up for the Friars football squad as an offensive lineman.

However, as Quinn entered his sophomore year, he found a new passion, one that’s similar, but took some getting used to. He joined the St. Anthony’s High School club rugby team, a decision that would later lead him to winning a state championship in the sport.

“I went out and had no idea what I was doing,” Quinn, of Huntington Station, said. “But after a couple of practices I just fell in love with the game.”

Standing at 6-foot and weighing at 230-pounds, Quinn said rugby is a character builder and is all about teamwork.

He said, “They say you’re only as good as your weakest player and that’s definitely true so everyone has to work as a team.”

His passion for the sport came from the opportunity to run the ball himself.

“In football, it’s the quicker and faster guys that run the ball but in rugby anyone can and me being a 230-pound lineman running the ball, it’s really fun,” Quinn said.

During his junior year, Quinn decided to transfer to Walt Whitman High School, which does not have a rugby club team. And he wasn’t able to keep playing for St. Anthony’s club team since he was no longer a student there.

Refusing to give up on rugby, Quinn sought help from Matt Persanis, head coach of the Metropolitan New York Rugby All-Star team, which Quinn had joined over the summer. Persanis asked Quinn to come play for the club team at upstate Pelham Memorial High School.

Despite the around 35-mile trek to the high school, Quinn decided it was worth it in order to be able to continue playing.

Each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after school, Quinn would complete his homework and leave his house at 5 p.m. to make practice at 6:30 p.m. Later that night he’d get home around 10:30 p.m.

“It was a lot, but I think what drove me to do it was my passion for the game,” he said. “The games were on the weekends, which was a little rough, but I’d say it was definitely worth it.”

This year, Quinn was voted “Most Dedicated” and co-captain by his teammates. The team’s record through the regular season was 2-2. Pelham then reached the 2017 Rugby New York State playoffs, the team fought to the finals, and became Division I Tier II champions.

Quinn, now a senior at Whitman, has remained dedicated to rugby. Although he no longer plays football, he has also joined the school’s National Honor Society and Ambassadors Program and maintained a 93 GPA. He’s set to graduate this Saturday.

“If I couldn’t play rugby and I had to get stuck with football, I would’ve had a miserable high school career,” Quinn said. “Ruby was definitely so much fun. I have tons of memories and I made a bunch of new friends. It was definitely the right choice.”

Quinn plans to attend Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts this fall to study physics and engineering.

He said he’s a shoo-in for the college’s rugby club team.