Joe Mackin, a 2025 La Salette graduate and new Rugby Riot contributor, shines a light on his former teammate, Connor Hanlon. Enjoy!
Some say rugby is just a hobby, just for fun, or to condition for football. Well, enter stage left: Connor Hanlon.
He went from never playing rugby before high school to becoming one of the premier fullbacks in the nation, helping lead the La Salette Lions to a 15-1 record and a third-place finish at the national tournament. Talk about Disney movie material.
The funny thing is, Connor wasn’t even into rugby at first. A self-proclaimed sports addict, he played several other sports, but rugby hadn’t taken grip — it was hardly a blip on his radar.
Then something happened: he watched a New Zealand All Blacks documentary.
The culture, the camaraderie, the physical and emotional battles these guys went through — it stirred something in Connor. He was hooked, particularly by the aspect of pain and adversity and proving oneself to be a man. “Back in the day, it was going through war and pain that made you a man,” he told me. Rugby offered the same kind of proving ground.
La Salette — a small Catholic boarding school in Illinois — is known for its competitive rugby program, and Connor dove right in. There were learning curves and setbacks, including a knee injury his sophomore year, but he buckled down, and by senior year, Connor had established himself as one of the best fullbacks in the country.
Strong performances against top teams — St. Ignatius (OH) and Xavier (NY) — and consistently performing at a high level all season earned him looks from college scouts. A sixty-meter try against the national champions and knocking in the winning kick in the waning minutes of a matchup with Xavier sure helped with that, but his leadership and commitment made it hard for scouts to turn blind eye to him.
So, what does Connor think about rugby these days? It’s his favorite sport, hands down.
I asked him what he loves most about it. He responded:
“Rugby just helps with life. Rugby is tough and so is life.”
What’s next? Connor is taking his rugby skills to the University of Health and Pharmacy in St. Louis — on a rugby scholarship, no less.
We’re excited to watch his rugby journey continue — he’s a heck of a player. And hey, if you’ve got a little brother or nephew with a knack for athletics, maybe turn on an All Blacks documentary. You never know what it could spark.
-Joe Mackin
La Salette (IL), Class of 2025
Connor Hanlon boots the ball
Credit: Tom Marriage Photography