They call Rupert Bronkhorst '25 'The Buffalo.' Why? Because when the stampede is coming, you best get out of the way.
A star high school athlete might play in front of a few hundred fans. But when that same athlete makes the jump to collegiate athletics, there could be thousands of spectators packed into arenas and football stadiums. Bronkhorst's experience has been exactly like that... except just like the flow of traffic or the direction of water down a drain, completely reversed.
"I come from a place where rugby is known by men, women, grandmas, and grandpas. The person who knows the least about rugby in South Africa would probably be the most knowledgeable on the sport over here."
Bronkhorst was the top player for the top high school rugby program in South Africa. In the rugby-crazed nation, he would sometimes play in front of 10,000 fans at a high school match. Bronkhorst hoped to turn professional out of high school, but when a contract in France didn't materialize, he decided to play in America to pair four years of collegiate rugby with an education. But, Bronkhorst had never been to the States, and he didn't know where to start. A recruitment agency connected Bronkhorst and his family with Greg Matthew. Siena's rugby coordinator sat down with Bronkhorst and his family over Zoom. Bronkhorst's mom grilled Matthew for nearly an hour. Afterwards, it was settled.
"My parents told me, Siena is the place you'll go. Before I even had the chance to look at other colleges, it was settled. When my parents have that warm feeling and they say this is the place, they know I'll be happy. They know what's best for me."
As usual, mom and dad were right. Bronkhorst says that in South Africa, 80 percent of the people are not friendly, they don't talk to you. But at Siena, everyone says hi, and people go out of their way to make sure he's alright. The rugby is different too.
Bronkhorst isn't used to explaining the sport to classmates; he's also not used to playing in front of just a hundred fans, rather than thousands. But, that also presents an opportunity. Bronkhorst and his teammates, many of them international as well, have an opportunity to gain Siena national notoriety and exposure for its rugby program. The undefeated Saints have a national championship in their sights, and they might just go as far as their Buffalo will take them. Bronkhorst, though just a freshman, was named captain of the team by their coach.
Not only does Bronkhorst intend to raise Siena's national profile, he also hopes to convert much of the Siena community to rugby (watch him play once, and you'll be hooked). He also wants to get his driver's license - when he went for his test in South Africa, he was flunked because he refused to offer the instructor a bribe. After that, he'd like to give the professional route another try. But first, he'll finish his degree in psychology and do all he can to bring a national championship to Siena.
"It is so ironic how a place so far away from home can feel like home. That is what Siena College is to me."
Rupert Bronkhorst '25
Siena - 354; Opponents - 3
The Siena men's rugby team has outscored its competition 354 to 3 through five games so far this season (including a 118-0 win over Amherst), and it likely should have been more lopsided than that. Union and Wesleyan both forfeited their matches, and per league rules, handed Siena a 28-0 victory. If the games were play, 28 points is a modest assumption.
The men have qualified to regionals as the number 1 seed, and are still waiting to learn their opponent. If Siena wins regionals, they'll advance to the national tournament.
Siena's women's team has also qualified for the postseason. Their tournament begins on the Siena campus this Sunday, October 24, at 1:00 p.m.