Every summer, Harvard community members come together to compete and to root for their colleagues in the annual Rhino League volleyball competition. Colorfully-named teams duke it out for a shot at one of two trophies, the coveted Championship Cup and the Dung Cup, honoring the teams who just play for fun.
Rhino League teams come not only from the MCB community, but also from neighboring schools and departments such as SEAS and OEB. Though Rhino League has always been administered by MCB folks, anyone with an active Harvard ID is welcome to participate.
This year’s festivities are being organized by graduate students Alex Chen and Marc Duque Ramirez of the Engert Lab. Research assistant Clemens Riegler of the Engert Lab will assist them. Chen and Duque Ramirez also contributed to last year’s Rhino League festivities by livestreaming the finals on Twitch and commentating on the games. They will continue bringing the Rhino League “into the digital era” with game streams this summer.
“We also want to emphasize that the goal is to have fun and if any situation happens it will be resolved by applying the rules but also by taking into account our community and everyone’s enjoyment,” the commissioners say.
In last year’s championship game, MCB’s Fourth Floor Giants faced off against Gio’s Angels, a team from SEAS captained by postdoc Giovanni Bordiga of the Bertoldi Group. After two hard-fought matches, Gio’s Angels emerged victorious. The SEAS team took both the first set (15-6) and the second set (15-9).
Sign-ups for the 2024 Rhino League are now open. To register, you will need a team name, contact info for a team captain, and teammates. Participants who want to compete for the championship cup are limited to playing on one team. The deadline for signups is Jun 3, 2024
This year’s league will start on June 10th and the championship game will take place on August 23rd.
