Rugby Huddle Was An Anchor In Turbulent Times

For Brandon Monahan ’04, playing rugby at Radford wasn’t just part of his life from 1999 to 2005 – the team became his foundation, his home.

Two months into Monahan’s freshman year, his world was turned upside down when his father passed away suddenly on Dec. 4, 1999, at just 43 years old.

“I still remember the counselor knocking on my door in Pocahontas Hall at 7 a.m. to deliver the news that would change my life,” Monahan recalled. “The weight of that moment was overwhelming – trying to process the loss, trying to find the words to tell my older brother, who was also at Radford. I felt lost, unmoored. But Radford rugby became my anchor.”

Before every match, Monahan and his teammates would huddle together, a “circle of brothers,” and remind themselves that they were never alone.

“We spoke a variation of Psalm 23:4 – words that resonated deeply, not just because we were a team from the New River Valley, but because so many of us had endured loss, hardship and pain,” he said. “It was our reminder that no matter the battle ahead –on the field or in life – we stood together.”

For five years, Monahan gave Radford everything – his effort, his heart, his loyalty. And Radford gave back. He graduated cum laude, double majoring in applied mathematics and computer science; helped bring home Radford University’s first-ever national championship in any sport; and was honored as the 2003 Men’s Collegiate Division II Most Valuable Player.

“These achievements mean the world to me, but more than the accolades, it was the journey, the brotherhood and the moments in between that left the deepest mark,” he said.