Western Washington University

The Goal

Western Washington University's rugby program had passionate alumni and a long history, but in 2020 it had no regular way to reach them. There was no consistent communication, no membership program and no clear case for giving, so support depended on a few volunteers. WRA needed a website, an alumni database and a steady communication schedule that would bring former players back, plus giving programs that could fund scholarships, coaching and travel as the team set its sights on national titles.

What We Did

• Website & Brand: Built and manage wwurugby.org, with schedules, results, news, events, alumni pages and an End of Season Reports library.
• Membership & Forever Club: Launched alumni membership tiers with a member portal and directory, then the Forever Club for gifts of $50K to $250K.
• Weekly Communications: Write a match report after every game and send emails for matches, livestreams, alumni events and the annual golf outing.
• End of Season Reports: Design an annual report that recaps the season, results and alumni support, shared with alumni, donors and the university.
• Events: Promote the Blue and White Dinner, Alumni Match, golf outing and high school camp with graphics, emails and event pages.
• Strategy & University Case: Built strategy decks and a presentation showing the university the value the rugby program brings to WWU.

The Impact

Western Rugby Alumni has gone from occasional outreach to one of the strongest alumni programs in college rugby. Alumni contributions grew to $25,000 a year by 2023, and WRA has now raised more than $1 million, funds $43,000 in scholarships each year and helped hire a full-time head coach. On the field, the Vikings won the CRAA D1AA 7s national title in 2024 and their first 15s national championship in 2025–26. With membership, giving and communications running on a steady system, WRA's board can focus on recruiting, scholarships and the program's next step.