About Us
Empire GU Rugby manages and fosters rugby for more than 50 men's and women's clubs in New York State, Northern New Jersey and Connecticut. It was created in July 2012 and is comprised of the former Northeast, New York State Rugby Conference and Metropolitan New York RFU.
Born from the merger of the Northeast, New York State Rugby Conference and Metropolitan New York RFU, Empire GU was established as one of USA Rugby's original pilot Geographical Unions — creating more opportunities for players of all levels to experience the camaraderie, athleticism, and spirit that make rugby extraordinary.
Empire Rugby Bylaws & Policies
USA Rugby Laws
Officers
Board of Directors
| POSITION | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| President | Dannish Patel | president@empire.rugby |
| Vice President | Ed Panzella | vp@empire.rugby |
| Director of Rugby | Lex Maccubbin | dor@empire.rugby |
| Director of Governance | Gary Heavner | governance@empire.rugby |
Rugby Leadership (Non-Voting)
| POSITION | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Director | Bob Figueiredo | men@empire.rugby |
| Women's Director | Kara Kalinowski | women@empire.rugby |
| Sevens Director | Lane Wang | sevens@empire.rugby |
| Referees Director | Jon Morgan | referees@empire.rugby |
| Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair | TBD | dei@empire.rugby |
Ad-Hoc Board Members (Non-Voting)
| POSITION | NAME | |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | JC Whipple | administrator@empire.rugby |