by Ericka Simpson
Staff Writer
Every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 6:15p.m at the bottom of Bryan College hill, by the boat docks, a group of male Bryan students gather to fight for possession of an oval-shaped ball. To an onlooker, the game might appear to look like an odd version of football as the men run in a line passing the ball backwards to score. This game is rugby.
Sophomore scrumhalf Clayton Schmidt said that Bryan started the club sport five years ago. Some of the “founding fathers” were Steve Orner, Jonathan Lucas, Hal Mayes and David Manser, who now plays with the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Men’s Club. The students lead the club, but are sponsored by Michael Palmer, associate professor of communication studies, and Ron Petitte, associate professor of political science.
Rugby is a full-contact sport without the padding worn in football, and members have suffered broken noses, twisted ankles and a broken collarbone, according to Schmidt.
The men wear mouth guards for protection and “old school” polo shirts with rubber buttons that bend if jammed into the skin during the game. Schmidt said they wear sturdy jerseys made of stiff material because they get pulled on a lot during play.
“There is always the risk of getting your teeth smashed out or hands trampled on by cleats,” Schmidt said.
Sophomore hooker Stephen Bryan said the club has smaller-sized members than most clubs, which allows them to move down the field with more speed. The club has improved from last year because they are organized in playing games and understand how to play, according to Bryan.
“We haven’t won a game, but we’ve played tough,” he said.
The club has lost some bigger men from last year, but the freshmen who played last year have learned the game, according to sophomore winger Trevor Haught. He said they have played together for a year now and have become more fluid.
“We’ve improved with team cohesion this fall,” Haught said.
The club tried to recruit members this fall to play in its preseason in order to improve its playing abilities in the spring for its official season. Rugby is becoming more popular in the United States, and the people are interested in becoming involved, according to Haught.
It is still a struggle to convince people to play though, according to Schmidt. The game is unlike most regular sports because the ball is passed backwards in order to score a goal, known as a “try” in rugby.
“It’s a game played all over the world, so you meet people from different countries,” Schmidt said. “It’s a neat game in that way.”
The club played its third and final game in its preseason against Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville) on Nov. 14. The club lost 41-26, but played a good game scoring the first try, according to Haught.
The club will start its regular season in the spring, playing against schools in the area with rugby clubs.