Two-time University of Mary Washington graduate and former four-year Eagle player Emily Rees has been named as Recruiting Coordinator/Coach for the women's rugby program at the Fredericksburg school, according to Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo.

"We are excited to welcome Emily back to UMW", said UMW Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. "Her outstanding background in public education and rugby makes her a great addition to the women's rugby program and to UMW Athletics."

"I'm thrilled to return to UMW to support the growth and advancement of women's rugby", said Rees. "The team was a pivotal part of my experience at UMW, and I'm honored to give back to the program that gave me so much in return. I'm incredibly appreciative of the search committee, Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo, women's rugby team, and coaches for this opportunity. It's a privilege to serve the team to cultivate distinction in their academic and athletic progress."

Rees returns to her alma mater after teaching for the past five years in Stafford County. She has been involved with rugby since arriving on campus at UMW in 2016, competing with the team in the USA Rugby Women's DII Collegiate Nationals round of 16. In addition, she has also played with Northern Virginia Women's Rugby, and with Rappahannock Women's Rugby, won the USA Club Rugby Division III Atlantic Super Regional Championship in 2022. This summer, she assisted in coaching Spotsylvania Police's youth rugby camp as a representative from Rappahannock Rugby.

A 2020 Bachelor of Science graduate in Psychology from UMW, she also gained her Master of Science from UMW in Elementary education in 2021. She has played as a member of Rappahannock Rugby since 2021, having served as the team's recruiting coordinator since 2023, and was involved on campus as a student as a Resident Assistant for two years. She began playing rugby with Loudoun Rugby as a freshman in high school and continued playing at UMW.