MWRU Appoints Ohio’s Monica Christian as Interim-Secretary

[CHICAGO, IL] – Today, Midwest Union President Dan Houlihan announced that current Ohio Rugby Union President Monica Christian has been appointed as the interim Union Secretary until an election for the position will be held in February 2024.

Monica Christian began playing rugby in college for Ohio State University, then bounced around to a few senior club rugby sides before eventually landing at the Cincinnati Kelts. There, she earned stints as the team’s Captain, a Forward’s Selector, and the Match Secretary. While still playing, she began working on the administrative side of rugby, eventually becoming the President of the Ohio Rugby Union and serving on the Ohio Rugby Disciplinary Board, roles she still maintains today.

For the Midwest Rugby Union, Monica served on the Competition Committee for several years as the Women’s Division 2 Eastern Coordinator and as a player-representative and captain for the Midwest Thunderbirds. Monica states one of her proudest moments playing rugby was captaining the Thunderbird side in December 2021 at the Mary Graham All-Star Tournament in Dallas, TX. Monica was integral in stubbornly keeping the program alive during the years when the Midwest was not actively supporting the program. Monica still works hard as a player-leader in the Women’s Thunderbird Program often assisting coaches and administrators with player-related issues.

Professionally, Monica works as a molecular biologist studying infectious diseases. She recently finished her Master of Science Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Wright State University. In addition to rugby, Monica is an avid equestrian and a L1 Cross Fit Coach. She has assisted in running several local and national functional fitness events, including supporting the United States delegation to Sweden for the IF3 Worlds.

Personally, Monica lives outside Dayton, OH with her wife Dr. Lee Allene, who she met when they were teammates at the Kelts.