PMHS grad Nick Lapponese taken in first round of draft by New York Ironworkers of Major League Rugby

By Phoebe Schwarz, Assistant Managing Editor • August 22, 2023

Nick Lapponese will play professional rugby for the New York Ironworkers.

Call it a homecoming.

Nick Lapponese, a 2019 PMHS graduate, was drafted into Major League Rugby by the New York Ironworkers for the 2023-24 season and will play his home games at Memorial Field across the river in Mount Vernon.

The Ironworkers are the only professional rugby team in New York and were crowned Major League Rugby (MLR) Champions in 2022. The Ironworkers play a total of 16 games during their five-month season and face teams from all across the nation and Canada.

Lapponese was the No. 33 nationally ranked player coming out of high school. He led PMHS Rugby to multiple state championships during his high school years. He went on to have a successful college career, playing for Fairfield University. As a senior captain, he earned first team All-American status and helped lead Fairfield’s Red Ruggers to their first playoff since 2016.

See a video on Lapponese on the Ironworkers’ Instagram account @rugbynewyork.

About the Contributor

Phoebe Schwarz, Deputy Managing Editor (2023-24)

Phoebe Schwarz is a senior at the Harvey School. She loves to write and edit and has been involved in the yearbook production at school, where she has earned the role of co-editor-in-chief of the Harvey Yearbook. She is a member of the school's volleyball and lacrosse teams. She has enjoyed being a part of the Examiner since 2020, and can not wait to see what happens in her final year on the Examiner as Deputy Managing Editor! (This was Phoebe's profile when she graduated from high school in 2024.)

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