Update 7/27/2017: The original story stated that Atlanta Old White was the team that showed recognition to Charlotte Rugby’s, Ethan Suznevich. The correct team who was featured giving support to Suznevich was Optimus Rugby. Optimus Rugby was the team that lost to Charlotte Rugby in the South Club 7s Championship Finals.
On Saturday, the Charlotte Men’s Rugby Club won the South Club 7s championships and a bracket spot at the USA Rugby Club 7s National Championships, in Atlanta, GA. On a day that could have been one to rue or laud your teams effort, depending on what side of the win column you’re on, there was recognition to one team member.
Charlotte Rugby player, Ethan Suznevich, was in attendance for Charlotte’s victories this weekend. It’s important to recognize the significance of this, because Suznevich has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system from cells called lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infections. It can develop in many parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, thymus and digestive tract. The Charlotte Rugby Club has been actively working to help and embrace Suznevich and his family during this ordeal.
Atlanta Old White, who had hosted the South Club 7s Championships, caught wind of what was going on with `Suznevich and the Charlotte Men’s Club. The Atlanta Old White team decided to get together and show their support for Suznevich. This lays the beauty of the sport of rugby. The history between Atlanta Old White and Charlotte Men’s Rugby has been very deep. There has been a deep rivalry between these two teams for a long time. While the game play on the field has always been relentless, off the field the connection couldn’t be any closer.
We hope that Ethan Suznevich recovers from this ailment, but until then, you know that there is a whole community sitting behind him.
Check out the video below