Congratulations to the 2026 US Rugby Hall of Fame Special Award Recipients!
Each year alongside the Hall of Fame induction class, the US Rugby Foundation presents two special awards recognizing individuals whose careers of service have shaped the landscape of American rugby. The 2026 recipients of the Chairman's Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award represent decades of dedication to growing, sustaining, and strengthening the sport at every level.
Chairman's Award
Chairman's Award
Kevin Kitto (1946–2025)
Born in New Zealand, Kevin Kitto brought a lifelong love of rugby to the United States when he arrived in the 1970s. He joined the Queen City RFC in Denver and quickly took on coaching and administrative roles, serving as a coach for the Eastern Rockies and Western Rugby Union select sides and as a selector for USA Rugby. After relocating to Florida in 1979, Kitto spent the next four decades building rugby in the Southeast. He served as President of the Florida Rugby Union and, from 2005, as President and Director of Rugby for USA Rugby South. He led USA Rugby South teams in competition across Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America in Rugby Americas North competitions, providing international playing opportunities to players in a region that would otherwise have had none. He co-founded the Panther Rugby Academy in 2020, a verified National Development Program, and served on its board. Kevin Kitto passed away on February 27, 2025. This award honors a career of 46 years of continuous service to American rugby.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
Karen "KJ" Feury
Karen "KJ" Feury has been a driving force in youth rugby development in the United States for more than 25 years. Introduced to tag rugby at the Saranac Tournament in 1998 by then USA Rugby Youth Director Patrick Walsh, she launched a youth program in Denville, New Jersey the following year with 20 children. That program, the Denville Dawgs, grew to encompass eight towns and more than 1,000 participants at its peak. The American Flag Rugby model developed through her Morris Rugby organization was shared with USA Rugby and used to inform the development of Rookie Rugby. As President of Rugby New Jersey from 2012 to 2025, she founded and ran the annual Rugby NJ College Fair and Combine (2013 to 2025), giving high school players across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Connecticut direct access to college programs. She also established the Captains Round Table and the Rugby NJ Webinar Series, both of which she coordinated from 2018 through 2025. A registered nurse and advanced practice nurse, Feury has provided field medical coverage for Morris Rugby, the NJ Blaze, and Atlantis Rugby programs, and has conducted published injury surveillance research on high school rugby. In 2022 she received the Morris Rugby Lifetime Achievement Award.
Be Part of It
The 2026 US Rugby Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on August 14, 2026, at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Marina Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Join us to celebrate the Class of 2026 and the 2026 Special Award recipients.
Secure Your Seat Reserve your spot at one of the most celebrated nights in American rugby. Become a Sponsor Sponsorship packages are available at multiple levels, with recognition throughout the ceremony and beyond. Purchase a Program Ad Congratulate the Class of 2026 with a full-page, half-page, or quarter-page ad in the official ceremony program. Ads start at $175.
