Dave Burke enters his eighth year with the Cornell University men's rugby team. Dave looks forward to the 2023 fall season with several returning starters and a few incoming freshmen and transfers with solid experience.
Dave's rugby career started with the Schenectady Reds, playing wing from 1991 to 1997. In 1998, he moved to Raleigh for work and played fullback for the Vipers. In his second year with the Vipers, Dave made the mid-Atlantic select side and played in the ITTs scoring in several opportunities. The tournament brought recognition at the national level and an opportunity to play in San Diego for the Super League team, OMBAC.
In 2000, Dave travelled with the USA 15s team to several Pacific Rim games in Tonga and Samoa. Later that summer, OMBAC 7s took form and won their first of three consecutive 7s national championship. Dave's focus was now on 7s and played prop for two years with the National team including the World Cup in 2001.
Playing shifted to coaching in 2006 as the backs coach at SDSU under head coach, Dan Payne. Dave stayed on for two years and then returned to coach SDSU in the 2010 7s CRC taking third place in the inaugural tournament. Two years later, he came back to coach OMBAC 7s taking the team to the nationals in 2012 and 2013.
From 2013 to 2016, Dave transitioned from California to New York to further his research at Cornell where he works as an engineer supporting physics experiments at the particle accelerator. His hiatus from rugby was over when he took the coaching helm in the fall of 2016.
Dave Burke
(Men's Head Coach)
Sean Mulholand joins the Cornell University men's rugby team with a strong background in both playing and coaching. Sean's rugby career began at Ohio State University, where he played Lock for four years, establishing a reputation as a solid and dependable player in the forward pack.
After college, Sean played at the Men's Premiership Club level with the Columbus Men's Rugby Club in Ohio and later with the Lincoln Park Rugby Club in Chicago. His passion for the game extended to coaching, where he contributed significantly to the success of the Olentangy Blues High School Rugby team in Columbus. Under his guidance, the Blues secured three state championships, a testament to Sean's dedication and skill in developing young players.
Sean is excited to bring his experience and passion for rugby to Cornell and looks forward to contributing to the team’s growth and success this season, with a particular focus on developing the strength and cohesion of the forward packs.
Sean Mulholand
(Men's Coach)
Max Madziva started his rugby career at the London Wasps RFUC in 1992-1995 where he played for the Wasps Juniors alongside former England greats like Lawrence Dallaglio and Will Green. After a lay off from injury, Max moved to the North of England where he played for Leeds Corinthians RFUC, Lawnswood RFUC and Yarnbury RFUC before returning to Zimbabwe to captain the Zimbabwe national team, the Zimbabwe Sables, in 2006.
After retiring from playing, Max moved to coaching and is now a World Rugby Level 3 accredited Coach. Max has coached in many clubs in Zimbabwe including the Old Hararians RFUC who are the current national champions. He is also the Zimbabwe Junior Sables U17 Head coach and Head Coach of the St. John's College RAMS First XV.
Max Madziva
(Men's Coach)
Maitoe has coached the Cornell women’s rugby team for 7 years. In the fall 2023 season he is looking forward to improving our skill level and game knowledge with everyone working together as a team. The plan is to challenge our players to play consistently. Everyone needs to do the work but have fun while doing it.
He has been playing rugby since he was a boy in the Cook Islands, his home country in the South Pacific. He played for his school teams and then for his village club team in both Union and League. When he moved to LA, he played for the San Fernando Valley Club. After moving to Rochester, he played for the Colonials before focusing on coaching and officiating.
He started coaching rugby at School Without Walls in Rochester, NY. From there he coached Penfield High School and has worked with many Rochester-area high school teams on an ad hoc basis. His first college coaching job was at St. John Fisher's College coaching their women's team for 5 years. He also coached SUNY Geneseo Men's Rugby Club and during that time was back and forth to the Cook Islands where he coached Union and League teams for U16 and U19 Boys. He also worked on an ad hoc development basis with SUNY Brockport Men's Rugby and St. John Fisher's College Men's Rugby. After playing for the Rochester Colonials, he coached them as well. Cornell Women's Rugby Football Club has been his coaching home since 2016.
Contact: Maitoe@aol.com
Maitoe Marearai
(Women's Head Coach)
Official Website of the Men's and Women's Rugby at Cornell. Registered student organisation at Cornell University.
210 Pine Tree Road, Ithaca, NY Cornell University Rugby Field
