A 19-year-old California faculty rugby participant died after struggling a medical emergency whereas coaching along with his teammates.
Dominic Peterson, a sophomore at Saint Mary’s Faculty, was operating in Moraga on Friday when he skilled the “medical disaster,” in response to a letter from faculty president Roger Thompson.
Peterson was rushed to an area hospital however died, Thompson stated. The character of the medical emergency has not been disclosed.
The Moraga-Orinda Hearth Safety District responded to the incident, Hearth Chief Jeff Isaacs confirmed Saturday, although he declined to offer further particulars.
The Saint Mary’s Gaels rugby program introduced Peterson’s demise Saturday evening, remembering him as a beloved teammate whose character may gentle up a room.
“Dominic’s smile was contagious and one that will brighten a room when he entered,” the crew stated in a social media submit. “He all the time gave 100% effort and inspired these round him to do the identical.”
“Dominic shall be in our hearts endlessly,” the crew added.
A memorial service for Peterson was held Saturday morning on the Saint Mary’s Faculty Chapel, in response to Thompson’s letter.
The loss despatched shock waves by way of the Saint Mary’s neighborhood, with athletes from different applications rallying round Peterson’s teammates and household.
The Saint Mary’s males’s basketball program stated it was mourning alongside the rugby crew, describing the faculty as “greater than a school, greater than a crew, and greater than a neighborhood.”
“We’re a household,” the basketball program stated. “When one in all us hurts, all of us harm.”
This system added: “We stand collectively” with Peterson’s rugby teammates as they address the “unimaginable loss.”
Tributes additionally poured in from the broader rugby neighborhood.
Paul Keeler, government director of the Faculty Rugby Affiliation of America, stated the group was grieving with Peterson’s household, teammates, coaches and classmates.
“The lack of a younger man and teammate in circumstances like these is troublesome to grasp,” Keeler stated.
“Rugby has all the time been greater than a sport,” he added, noting that the bonds created between teammates lengthen nicely past competitors.
Peterson’s former teammates at California Grizzlies Rugby remembered him as a pure chief who had captained their U19 boys squad throughout worldwide rugby excursions.
“Captain. Teammate. Good friend,” the membership wrote in a tribute. “We’ve got misplaced one in all our leaders, and we’re heartbroken,” the group stated.
Peterson captained the crew on journeys to the Nice Northwest Problem, Japan and Argentina, in response to the tribute.
“A real chief, Dom shall be remembered with satisfaction, gratitude, and love,” the membership stated. “The journeys we shared and the friendships shaped alongside the way in which will all the time be a part of his legacy.”
The California Grizzlies additionally prolonged their condolences to Peterson’s household, his dwelling membership, the EPA Razorhawks, and the Saint Mary’s rugby neighborhood.
“Rugby has all the time been greater than a sport,” the membership stated. “It provides us a spot to belong and friendships that attain far past the sphere.”
“Relaxation in peace, Dom,” the tribute stated. “You’ll all the time be our captain, our teammate, and our buddy.”
