The Texas Tech men’s rugby program has announced that the team’s co-captain and starting flanker Quinn Noel has died.

No details are available as to the circumstances of Noel’s passing, although his family has been notified. Noel was a leading player on the team and enormously popular.

“We was a fantastic guy on and off the field,” said Jason Bramow, who is part of the Texas Tech coaching staff. “He was the first one to take new guys under his wing and show them the ropes of life at the University as we well as how the rugby program works. He was a brother to all of the guys.”

Noel began playing rugby as an 8th-grader with the Woodlands program in the Houston area. His coach was Phil Beck, who is still the Head Coach of the Woodlands team, and Beck said that the news was devastating to the program.

“It hit me very hard,” said Beck. “I remember him well. I can remember his hairstyle and the way he played. He was a hooker for us and not a big kid. But he knew what he was doing and he was tough as nails. Actually he and I were talking about setting up a game between Texas Tach and the Lonestar team I also coach.”

Bramow added another note about Noel that Beck agreed with wholeheartedly:

“Rugby was the thing he loved the most in the world,” said Bramow. “He had said he found it in 8th grade and he credited it with helping make him the person he was. And he made a huge impact to everybody he met.”

The Texas Tech v TCU match scheduled for this weekend has been postponed.