St. Mary’s sophomore rugby star remembered for “contagious” smile after his sudden death

Dominic Peterson, a sophomore at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, died this Friday after experiencing a medical emergency during a training run with his rugby teammates. Now, his community is remembering him for his outstanding character on and off the field.

“He was just a quality young man, he was a delightful human, he had everything going for him,” said David Pool, head of USA Youth and High School Rugby and a friend of Peterson’s. “It’s just indescribable. It’s just a terrible, terrible tragedy.”

According to Tim O’Brien, head coach at St. Mary’s College Rugby, Peterson was on a two-mile training run when he suddenly collapsed. Mario Struti, a former player who now works with the team, was nearby and began to administer CPR before EMTs arrived. Peterson was taken to a local hospital where he died. O’Brien said that the autopsy report has not yet been completed.

“He was an up-and-comer, he was hitting higher highs,” said O’Brien. “How does a 19-year-old guy at the top of fitness all of a sudden die? It’s hard to describe”

The son of a rugby coach, Peterson had played for years. As a player, he had been co-captain of a squad that played internationally, been selected for the national Under-19 squad hat, won the Rugby Americas North Championship and won the national All-Star Tournament three years in a row.

“He had all the hallmarks of someone who would be progressing to play internationally at some point in his career,” said Adriaan Ferris, who coached Peterson for years as director of California Grizzlies Rugby and described Peterson as hardworking, humble and fearless. Pool added that Peterson was a natural leader who could motivate others and inspire them to follow.

As much as those who knew him admired him as a player, they spoke universally about his character.

“He was just always friendly and he would make other players feel welcome. He made other players better around him,” said Ferris. “He was kind and respectful to everyone.”

According to Ferris, that really meant everyone. Ferris recalls that Peterson would help up opposing team members after tackling them and would even complement opposing teams after particularly good shots. “I mean, it’s hard to dislike someone who smiles at you after they smash you,” he said. “He would pick them up off the floor and say ‘hey, good effort.’”

St. Mary’s Coach O’Brien called him “a coach’s dream.” O’Brien said he has seen an outpouring of hundreds of messages following Peterson’s death. St. Mary’s College put together a mass for Peterson on Saturday where people were packed “shoulder to shoulder,” noted O’Brien.

At the mass and on social media, friends and organizations sent outpourings of posts and messages testifying to Peterson’s character and “contagious” smile, with those in the tight-knit rugby community from St.Mary’s and beyond mourning his loss and celebrating his life.

“Sometimes words fail me,” said Pool. “I know how many lives he touched. I know how people cared about him, and I feel for everybody because it’s just very, very sad.”