“Never judge a book by it’s cover” is a commonly overused phrase, but when it comes to Aidan Maher, this is nothing less than true.

When most picture the stereotypical rugby player, they picture a tall, muscular, intimidating individual. For senior rugby player, Aidan Maher, this holds true… partially.

Despite his over six foot persona and his ability to intimidate opponents, it’s not difficult to catch Maher with a smile.

“I would say that Aidan is pretty laid back on the outside, but he’s pretty intense on the inside,” teacher Mary Symonds said. “Not only on the rugby field, but just in his thinking, Aidan is not a slacker.”

Symonds states that after having Maher since his freshman year, she has learned what his true personality consists of.

“First of all, he has a quick and ready laugh. He’s witty and has a very dry sense of humor, which I really appreciate. He’s a total gentlemen, he’s curious, he’s kind, he’s respectful. He’s a fun blend of things,” Symonds said.

For some, rugby seems like a much too difficult challenge, for Maher, it was like a second nature.

Maher is the captain of the Wenatchee Schoolhouse Rugby team and has played on the team for the past three years, following in his brother, Mac Maher’s footsteps.

“Rugby means everything to me,” Maher said, “Rugby is better than girls, rugby is better than school, rugby is better than life.”

Maher states that he sees the rugby squad as more of brotherhood.

“Its honestly so great to be the captain, I love my team and the team loves the team,” Maher explained. “I’ve never felt anything like the brotherhood of a rugby squad.”

Following each game, the players nominate a player to be “Man of the Match,” based on their performance during the game. Aidan has never been shy of this nomination, frequently being titled “Man of the Match.”

“‘Man of the Match’ is voted on so that shows that the other players respect him,” Symonds said. “It says that the other players think he’s special.”

It isn’t unlikely to miss events because of his dedication to rugby, once missing the SAT to participate in a match.

Maher is used to being thrown into difficult games, once taking part in a college match when the team was short on players. After participating in college matches, Maher is ready to take on college rugby.

“I am currently planning on attending Central Washington University, which has the best rugby program in the state,” Maher said. “I’m going to study aviation technology and mechanics there, and eventually use that career to travel around the world.”

In the case that Maher is still fit to play rugby after college, he plans on visiting New Zealand in order to improve his technical skills of the game.

Due to his coaches knowledge and leadership, Maher has been molded into the player he is today.

“I see all of my coaches lives and I would be happy to follow each of the paths they took,” he explained. “I believe I’ll be passing on my own rugby knowledge as a coach at some point in my life.”

As for most individuals, sports are more complex than they appear, most often teaching players life lessons.

“[Rugby] has taught me a lot of respect for others,” Maher said. “One of the great things about rugby is that when the opponent makes a big hit or play, the other team doesn’t take it personally but instead respects the opponent… I can also take lessons I’ve learned from rugby to organize a team and to work on something as a unit.”