Meet our Coaches

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My name is Lara Vivolo and rugby found me in the spring of 1996 at SUNY Cortland College. It was love at first sight. I played for 4 years in college and started playing with the New York Rugby Club in 1999. We went on to win 3 National Women’s Club Championships in 2006, 2009, and 2010. 

My last 3 years play high level, 2007-2010, I was a member of the USA Women’s National team and competed in the 2010 Women’s  World  Rugby Cup where we played 5th.  

In 2015 I started a men’s and women’s team at Rye High School in Westchester County, New York. I was the assistant coach at Army West Point Military Academy from 2016-2020 and joined the staff of the Greenwich High School Women's  Varsity Girls Rugby program in 2021. I am starting my 6th year with the program this March. 

My values and beliefs in the sport of rugby include the following: rugby is for everyone. All you need to start learning how to play is an open mind and a will to work hard. As a coach, I work with my players to help them believe in themselves, to push themselves out of their comfort zone, to be respectful, and to enjoy the game!!  It has so much to offer! 

I discovered rugby at a very young age and was immediately drawn to its values of respect, commitment, and camaraderie. Over more than 30 years, I have played and coached at competitive levels in France, French Polynesia, Belgium, and the United States.

As a player, I moved from university rugby in Poitiers to the French third division in Thouars and Fontenay-le-Comte, mainly as a hooker, flanker, and number eight. Later, at C’Chartres Rugby, I became co-head coach of the senior team and forwards coach, and we won the French Fédérale 3 championship and earned promotion to Fédérale 2.

I hold an IRB Level 2 coaching qualification and the DEJEPS Rugby à XV diploma (World Rugby Level 3 equivalent). I co-created and coached Taravao Rugby Club in French Polynesia, winning the 2nd division championship and reaching the Tahiti Cup final. I have also worked as a consultant for Royal Football Club de Liège Rugby (Belgian 1st division), coached the New York Rugby Club women’s team in the U.S. first division, and contributed to youth development with NOLA Rugby.

My coaching philosophy is to develop the whole player—technically, tactically, and personally. I promote a dynamic, attacking style of play based on continuity, support, and initiative, built on strong fundamentals in contact, rucks, scrums, and lineouts. For me, rugby is a powerful educational tool that builds character, solidarity, and team spirit, with player safety and enjoyment always at the center of my work.

My rugby journey has been shaped by both high-level competition and a strong commitment to youth development and education. I began my career as a player in the mid-1990s, competing at national and international levels, including an international match opposing the Normandy Regional Team to the Paraguay U19 National Team. From 1996 to 2013, I played and coached in France, notably with Rugby Club de Rouen and Stade Rouennais, within professional and semi-professional environments, working under head coaches such as Karl Janik (Toulouse), Daniel Hourcade (former head coach of Argentina’s national team), and Richard Hill (former England international scrum-half).

Alongside my playing career, I progressively moved into coaching and rugby education. After obtaining my official rugby coaching diploma in 2005, I worked as a trainer for the French Rugby Federation as part of the “Planète Ovale” program, using rugby as an educational tool in schools. I also coached U15 Alamercery players and supervised a high school rugby union sports section, combining academic structure with athletic development.

My experience includes international youth and development projects, such as the Tropical 7s Tournament in Florida, rugby tournaments in Texas with international exhibition matches, and participation in Mexico’s U17 and U19 championships. In 2014, I led a development tour to England with a U15 team, reinforcing my belief in rugby as a vehicle for cultural exchange.

More recently, I have been coaching flag rugby with the NOLA Gold NY Academy during the 2024–2025 season. My coaching philosophy is built on the belief that rugby is for everyone, and that the game should develop confident, intelligent, respectful players who enjoy learning and growing through collective play.