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Xavier’s National Players
US Under-19s Tom Burns, Rob Caridi, Ed Cullen, Matt Desario, Matt Donahue, Matt Frank, Rob Guarneri, Matt Hickey, Tom Lee, Mike Lugano, Brendan Lunny, Danny Lunny, Mike Maruffi, Flip Mullen, Ken Nikaido, Brian O’Grady, Andrew Palmer, Mike Petri, Jamie Prosser Collegiate All Americans Sean Lugano, Mike Petri |
| Xavier Rugby held its first organizational meeting on January 12, 1976. Jack Galbraith, Xavier Athletic Director and head football coach, asked 23-year-old Tom O’Hara (class of 1969) to create a rugby program so his football players would have an off-season sport to play. The football players were not mandated to play rugby and the team struggled early on, going 1-8 in their first season. With time, rugby drew more interest, experience and financial help, allowing the team to tour overseas annually and become a national powerhouse. |  |
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As a student, Mike played for Xavier from 1982-1985. Xavier won its first East Coast Championship in 1984 and the following year the school took home its first National High School Championship. Mike captained the 1985 National Champs and it was his penalty kick in the closing minutes that lifted Xavier to a 7-6 victory over Salt Lake City’s Highland High School. Joe Sweeney (1985), a teammate of Tolkin’s on the 1985 National Championship Team, joined the school’s coaching staff in 1994. Together Tolkin and Sweeney have won 13 East Coast Championships in 20 years. |