Hedges brings world of experience to rugby

The Eckerd Men's Rugby team welcomes a new coach in their bid for a championship season. Coach David Hedges joins the team this fall, bringing along a rare combination of playing and coaching experience dating as far back as 1975.

Hedges's playing accomplishments begin in 1975 when he played for "Diggers Kitwe," the eventual national league and championship cup winners in Zambia, Africa. He was selected to play for British Forces Germany against Fiji Touring in 1982 while living in Germany. For the next several years, Hedges was a player, coach and club chairman for the Dusseldorf Dragons where he also earned the honor of captain in his time with the club. He was selected to represent Germany at the International Rugby Board Sevens competition in Dubai in 1989 and was named an honorary referee at the IRB World Games in Duisburg, Germany in 2005. His accomplishments as a player are vast and are equally matched by those as a coach and team manager.

Hedges combined time as a player and coach with the Dusseldorf Dragons and also coached the Ladies and Youth sides in his combined 21 years with the club from 1984-2005. In 2003, Hedges led the German National under-19 team to the World Championships in Paris. At Eckerd, he states some of his goals for the upcoming year to include finding and developing each individual player's unique strengths to create a tradition of excellence with the program at Eckerd. Hedges has a deep understanding of the game of rugby, stemming not only from his experience as a coach and player, but from his numerous referee certifications including those from the International Rugby Board and Welsh Rugby Union. Along with his experience in rugby, Hedges has also worked as a personal trainer and possesses personal trainer and Nordic walking instructor certificates.

The excitement among the men's rugby team is evident among the players. Eckerd Senior Julian Buck, last year's captain and team president who played a vital role in bringing Hedges to Eckerd, explains that having a coach with such extensive experience in all aspects of the game "will add so much to the team." Buck went on to say that the addition of Hedges to the formula could give Eckerd "a great chance at winning the Florida Cup and performing extremely well in the new conference." Eckerd will compete for a national conference title in the spring.

Hedges has emphasized several points which he believes will be crucial to the success of Eckerd Rugby this year and in the future. Along with developing players' skills and improving every day, Hedges states that team spirit, motivation and camaraderie will also play an important role in bringing the team together for common goals and reaching the peak of their accomplishments.