The Rugby Opportunity Fund (ROF) and The Rugger’s Edge are joining forces in 2020 to create a mentorship program that will assist US-based student-athletes from across the country in pursuing higher education while playing top-level collegiate rugby.

Applications are due by June 15 and participants will be chosen based upon criteria including academic achievement, rugby experience, and leadership potential. Each year ROF seeks to engage, aid, and mentor student-athletes with financial hardships. Recipients are matched with ROF founders and alumni to help them navigate future academic and professional opportunities.

The ROF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, has been committed since 2008 to providing high-level rugby opportunities to student-athletes with financial challenges and from historically underserved communities. This is the first year the ROF will be offering a formal mentorship program in collaboration with the Rugger’s Edge. ROF Board member Kester Wise states: “Karen Fong-Donoghue is an expert in her field and we are extremely grateful for the chance to partner with her and the Rugger’s Edge to provide this important dimension to our programming.”

ROF students will benefit from small group advising sessions from Rugger’s Edge Owner & Founder, Karen Fong Donoghue aimed at preparing the student-athletes for the college admissions process and what to expect once admitted. Topics that will be covered include, "Beginning the College Search: How to Find the Best College Match,” “How to Complete a Stand-Out College Application,” “How to Write A Winning College Essay,” and more.

"We are ecstatic to begin this collaboration with The Rugby Opportunity Fund and help student-athletes prepare for life as a collegiate-athlete,” said Fong-Donoghue.

The new partnership will pair student-athletes with ROF mentors who will provide individualized support to each student under the advisement of Fong-Donoghue. This is the first time The Rugger’s Edge is taking on a new format such as this to reach more students, especially in underserved populations.

Applications are due by June 15, 2020. ​Please apply here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/RugbyOpportunityFund/ROFMentorshipCollegePrepProgram

Additional information on the Rugby Opportunity Fun can be found on Facebook here>>. To learn more about college admissions in relation to athletic recruiting for rugby, visit The Rugger’s Edge ​website.

Get Recruited! Put your info in Goff Rugby Report's free college recruiting data base and be seen from college coaches from around North America. Go here to input your info>>