Samantha Martin
SPORTS REPORTER
PHOTO BY SAMANTHA MARTIN//New head coach Fabian Rayne can’t help but smile after his men’s rugby team won its first game of the season beating Fleming College 84-5.
The Humber Hawks men’s rugby team has a new head coach with a lot of experience on the pitch.
Fabian Rayne’s passion for rugby started in high school and developed as he played on Canada’s national under-17 and under-19 men’s teams.
“Fabian is a real professional,” said Doug Fox, director of Humber athletics. “I felt very comfortable with what Fabian did last year as an assistant coach with us.”
Rayne, 34, was the team’s technical adviser last year and helped former head coach Carey French lead the team to the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championship.
French, the team’s coach since its inaugural 2002/2003 season, stepped down this past spring after winning four of the last five OCAA championships, creating an opening for Rayne to take over as head coach.
Rayne has coached professionally for five years and teaches fitness and health promotion, kinesiology and exercise science and life management at Guelph-Humber.
Before that, he played in the Canadian Football League for two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and one for the Calgary Stampeders.
In 2001, his first year with the Argonauts, Rayne opened Fab Your Life Inc., a health and wellness company in Markham, Ont.
“I don’t take this position lightly,” said Rayne. “Winning for me is everything – I don’t like to fail at anything.”
PHOTO BY SAMANTHA MARTIN//New head coach Fabian Rayne gives the team some last advice before taking on Fleming College in their first game of the season.
Mike Muto, a veteran centre and pre-service firefighter education and training student, played for the Markham Irish in the Marshall League this summer.
“I like him a lot, he’s a great team player and he’s a great leader as well,” said Muto.
Muto played alongside Rayne in the provincial men’s league.
Phil Boone, a veteran fly half and second-year marketing student, said he is looking forward to working more with Rayne.
“I feel like he’s going to drive the team in the right direction. He’s got great work ethic and he’s very organized,” said Boone.
Since taking over as head coach, Rayne said he is happy with the direction of the team.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself because I think we have a lot of work to do,” he said. “But, if we put the pieces together and really focus, I think we can win another championship.”
The team played its first game of the season on Sept. 24, beating Fleming College 84-5.