Old Loads Weekend 2026: The Schedule is LIVE – Let’s Run It Back
- dawn6956
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 20
Dust off the boots, find your weirdest hat, and start stretching something (preferably not a hamstring)—Old Loads Weekend 2026 is officially LIVE.
This is more than just a weekend. It’s a chance to:
Reconnect with teammates who still owe you a beer
Support the current SIU Men’s & Women’s teams
Give back to the Carbondale community that somehow tolerated us
👉 View the full weekend hub here: https://www.sirfcalumni.org/event-list
What You Need to Do Right Now
Before we get into the fun stuff—don’t wait on these:
🎟️ Buy tickets by 4/21 (prices go up + helps us plan with venues)
📝 RSVP where required so we can give accurate headcounts
👕 Order apparel by April 15 to have it in time for the weekend
👉 https://steamrollerrugby.com/siu-rugby/
Full Weekend Lineup
🍗 Thursday, April 30 – Giant City Chicken Dinner
📍 Giant City Lodge | 5:00 PM arrival, 5:30 PM dinner
👉 https://www.sirfcalumni.org/event-details/ol-weekend-texs-thursday-night-giant-city-chicken-dinner
Kick things off the right way—with fried chicken and zero regrets.
What to know:
📝 RSVP required by 4/21
💵 Pay at the lodge
Eat early, pace yourself, and get ready to roll into the Welcome Party.
🍻 Thursday Night – Welcome Party @ Buckwater
The unofficial official kickoff. Drinks, food, and the return of creative drinking vessels (yes, this will get weird).
What to know:
🎟️ $20 ticket if purchased by 4/21 (optional) | $30 at the door
Includes drinks + food
No ticket required to attend—you can still show up and join the fun. But buying in advance helps us plan with the bar and saves you some cash, so do yourself (and the bartenders) a favor and grab one early.
⛳ Friday, May 1 – Old Loads Golf Outing
📍 Jackson County Country Club | 12:00 PM
9 holes. Cart included. Pride on the line.
What to know:
📝 RSVP required
💵 Pay at the course
Foursomes or we’ll match you up
Please, for the love of SIU Rugby… leave the bell alone.
🍻 Friday Night – Pub Crawl (Hats, Crowns & Headgear)
📍 Starts at Hangar 9 | 5:00 PM
We’re taking over Carbondale—one bar at a time: Hangar 9 → Traxx → Quatros → Booby’s → Cellar → Tres Hombres → PK’s
New this year: Quatros added a bar (and pizza slices = survival).
This is our chance to support the local businesses that support us—so show up, buy drinks, tip well, and behave… relatively.
🍹 Saturday Morning – Hair of the Dawg Bloody Mary Bar
📍 Hangar 9 | 10:00 AM – Noon
If Friday night got after you… this is your recovery plan.
Build your own Bloody Mary, reconnect with humans, and prepare yourself for rugby.
🏉 Saturday – Alumni Rugby Matches
📍 Fields by Engineering Building | ~1:00 PM kickoff
👉 https://www.sirfcalumni.org/event-details/siu-rugby-matches-old-loads-vs-current-team-men-and-women
The main event.
Men play first
Women follow
Glory lasts forever (or until the next pulled muscle)
Ground rules still apply:
No fireworks
Pick up your trash
No nudity (seriously, we’re still saying this)
🐎 Saturday – Derby Draft + Watch Party
📍 The Cellar | ~6:00 PM
$20 cash buy-in. Random horse draw. Alumni + current player pairing. Men's and a Women's pool! Win money. Lose money. Blame your horse either way.
🎉 Saturday Night – Old Loads Banquet
📍 Hangar 9 | 6:00 – 9:00 PM
BBQ. Beer. DJ. Stories that get worse every year.
What to know:
🎟️ $50 in advance (by 4/21) | $60 at the door
🍽️ Current players eat FREE
Includes food + beer
This is the one you don’t skip.
Why This Weekend Matters
Old Loads Weekend isn’t just about reliving the glory days (or rewriting them).
It’s about:
Supporting the future of SIU Rugby
Helping fund initiatives that keep the program growing
Giving back to the Carbondale community that supports this weekend every year
👉 We’ll also be bringing back the “Adopt-a-Rugger” fundraiser, where alumni can directly support current players. More details on that will be coming your way in the next week—so keep an eye out and be ready to jump in.
So when you show up, grab a drink, buy a ticket, or bring a friend—you’re contributing to something bigger than just a good time.
Final Call
🎟️ Buy your tickets by 4/21
📝 RSVP where needed
👕 Order apparel by April 15
🍻 Prepare accordingly
👉 Start planning your weekend here: https://www.sirfcalumni.org/event-list
We’ve put a lot into making this one of the best Old Loads yet. Now it’s your job to show up and make it unforgettable.
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