The Kabala Family Rugby Hall
The Kabala Family Rugby Hall was dedicated in 2008 and made possible by a generous donation from Ed and Gail Kabala and their family. Ed was a member of Penn State University’s 1962 inaugural team.
Since then, the Hall has been updated every 1-2 years. The most recent and significant update was made in October 2022, during which the following displays were added or modified:
Penn State Rugby International Fifteens
Penn State has produced 32 players who have represented their country on a Fifteens national team. They are all honored by jersey exchange shadow boxes. 12 of these players also represented their country in International Sevens
Penn State Rugby International Sevens
Seven-a-side rugby began in Scotland in the 1880s as a fundraising event and quickly became broadly popular as a less formal variant of rugby. It wasn’t until 2000 that World Rugby established a structured series of international tournaments for men, followed by the addition of a women’s competition in 2012.
Penn State Rugby in the Olympics
In 2016, rugby was reintroduced to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after a 92-year hiatus. The 2020 Olympics took place in Tokyo in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic; Kayla Canett became Penn State’s first Rugby Olympian, playing for the USA.
Penn State Rugby National Honors
USA Rugby no longer supports an official All-American program. It is likely to be replaced with age-grade national teams (e.g. U–19 or U–21) playing in International or select competitions. Kabala Hall’s new, consolidated display of all past and present All-American awards, therefore, has been renamed “National Honors.”
Penn State Rugby History and Honors
Milestones
In 2022, seven Penn State graduates played for the United States in the World Cup held in New Zealand. One of our own also served on the coaching staff, and another was named as a non-traveling reserve. This significant achievement for Penn State Rugby was added to the “Milestones” display in the Hall.
Trophy Case
The single trophy case now displays a photo of all of the program’s 140+ trophies arranged at Penn State Rugby’s 60th Reunion, held in October 2022. The trophies themselves are currently in storage. We will rotate some of them into the Hall to coincide with teams returning for milestone reunions and permanently display many of them in the Hall should space allow for it in the future.
Penn State Rugby “Leaving a Legacy”
Penn State Rugby A. Fraser Grigor Distinguished Service Award
Established in 2006, this award is the highest honor the Penn State Rugby Club can bestow upon an individual — someone who has made an extraordinary contribution to the success and prestige of Penn State Rugby.
Penn State Rugby Coaches & Referees
Kabala Hall also contains displays honoring the coaches and referees who have worked with the teams since the team’s founding.
Penn State Rugby “Lifetime Achievement Award”
First awarded in 1990, the Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the Penn State Rugby Booster Club to recognize and honor individuals whose continual contributions have promoted the growth of rugby at Penn State.
Hall Features
Murals
In the “T” section of the Hall, on either side of the Kabala Family plaque, are murals of rugby action and moments from Penn State Rugby’s history. It includes quotes from players and parents about what the program has meant to them.
Interactive Screen
The electronic monitor screen is a work-in-progress that will provide a rotating display of the history of Penn State Rugby through documents, photographs and videos. It will also display recent news and upcoming events.
Ukraine
Penn State Rugby was proud to spearhead a national fundraiser to assist in rebuilding the Ukrainian Rugby Federation. A National Ukrainian jersey is framed and hung in the Hall.
Frequently Asked Questions
During the grand opening of the Family Kabala Rugby Hall in 2008, students helped answer frequently asked questions of visitors.
Did you play rugby at Penn State?
Help us tell more of Penn State Rugby’s history and keep our displays up-to-date! The information we’re featuring at the Kabala Family Rugby Hall is only as strong as we’re able to retell history.
If you see any errors in the display descriptions, names, or dates, please let us know. We will research, verify, and make changes. Likewise, if you have information, articles, or photos that could add important context to any element of Penn State Rugby’s history, we want to hear it! We will be aggregating new information and updating the “tour” quarterly.