WNY Rugby Academy exists to give Western New York players a serious route to develop, compete and represent their region at a high level.
OUR MISSION: Develop. Compete. Represent.
WNY Rugby Academy exists to give Western New York players a serious route to develop, compete and represent their region at a high level.
THE FOUNDERS
EKE AIONO
Eke has played rugby at the highest level, across the world: a double international for Samoa and Japan, a 1991 Rugby World Cup veteran, and nine years a professional in Japan. A certified World Rugby coach and strength and conditioning coach, he has coached multiple collegiate and senior club teams in the WNY region and co-founded IslandFit.
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Eke brings international playing experience and talent to WNY Rugby Academy.
BRYAN GARDNER
Head of Medical for the USA Senior Men's Rugby Sevens National Team at the 2024 Olympics, Bryan is a physical therapist in Rochester and a performance consultant for Liquid Sports Lab. He has worked with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans, coaches rugby at Nazareth University, and uses science-driven systems to support athlete readiness and injury risk management.
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Bryan brings the expertise to keep athletes fit and ready, on and off the field.
KELLEY BRIDENBAUGH
Kelley has spent more than 15 years in rugby, from grassroots to the national level. She has coached youth, high school, NCAA Division I, and the Allegheny Rugby Union's Women's Senior Select Side, scouted and managed for USA Rugby's All-American programs, launched a girls' rugby camp, and played and coached in Sydney, Australia.
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Kelley brings invaluable knowledge of pathway opportunities, from local rugby to the national level.
THE WNY WAY
The WNY Way is how we train and how we carry ourselves. We are disciplined without being rigid, tough without being reckless, and composed under pressure. We want players who earn their edge through work, and who lift the people around them.
OUR CREST
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