St. Thomas University has imposed a one-game suspension against its men’s rugby club after some of its underage members were caught drinking at an off-campus party.
The STU club was supposed to play UPEI on Saturday.
Instead, STU’s athletics department says the team will forfeit that game.
Whether STU will be allowed to plays its next two scheduled league games on Oct. 13 and Oct. 19 will depend on whether players can convince the university lessons have been learned.
Mike Eagles, STU’s director of athletics, says alcohol was provided to underage individuals at a gathering “that could reasonably be considered a ‘rookie party.’”
In a statement, Eagles added “the party created a circumstance whereby rookie members of the team could feel compelled to participate in drinking games,” which is in violation of the university’s code of conduct for athletes.
As part of disciplinary action against the team, Eagles said players would have to make a presentation to school officials explaining why their season should continue.
In recent years, so-called ‘rookie parties’ and the subject of hazing have become a focus on Fredericton’s College Hill.
STU suspended its men’s volleyball team for an entire season in October 2010 after an alcohol-fueled initiation party.
A player on the team, Andrew Bartlett, attended the event and was later found dead. Police said Bartlett, 21, had fallen down the stairs of his apartment building and hit his head.
In late August, the University of New Brunswick introduced a brand new anti-hazing policy, saying many students were failing to recognize what hazing actually was.
Under UNB’s new rules, any activity creating a hierarchy could be considered hazing if the option of participating means exclusion.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore
