In the quieter and less publicized world of club sports, at the end of last year, one club sports team finally overcame a 25-year championship drought. With a young roster and stiff competition, the Virginia men's rugby club defeated Virginia Tech 16-11 to lay claim to the state title.
"If you look back at us three years ago, we were still Division II," sophomore Max Erwin said. "We were not very highly recognized. But just in three years, our coach John Conrad has completely turned us around."
In two days of competition from Nov. 5-6 at the Ed Lee Tournament in Richmond, the Cavaliers rolled through state opponents such as James Madison to reach a close final match with their rival. Within the final two minutes, sophomore Andrew Fiscella scored the game-winning try to snap an 11-11 tie.
"It was incredible game, and everybody went nuts afterwards," Erwin said. "The crowd was wild. A lot of alumni and fans from Virginia showed up."
The men's rugby club, a sizeable club numbering around 50 players, is governed by the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union (M.A.R.F.U), a division of USA Rugby, which allows Virginia students to compete in a sport they love against Division I opposition.
"We recruit a lot of first years and players who have never played before," sophomore Ed Brenninkmeyer said. "We train them and develop their skills. We get them more and more in games and they begin to understand the game better. It is a really fun sport and a great opportunity to come out and have a good time."
For these students, enjoyment combines both physical toughness and endurance.
"Rugby is a tricky sport because it is a hard-hitting and intense sport," Brenninkmeyer said. "The matches are 80 minutes long, so there is a somewhat high level of fitness. In that way it differs from football, which is more intense. It is more similar to a sport like soccer."
The club competes both semesters against varsity and club teams throughout the east coast such as Georgetown, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Mary Washington, Navy, Clemson and others.
"There are very few varsity rugby clubs in the U.S.," Erwin said. "The only reason we are not varsity is because we are not officially recognized by the University as a varsity sport."
With higher level opponents on their schedule, Virginia has still managed to garner national rankings, tournament wins and a reputation for toughness with the help of older players and its volunteer coach.
Despite feeling a deep sense of accomplishment following November's big win, the rugby club has even tougher competitions to prepare for this semester.
"Spring is when the big tournaments come out," Erwin said. "That is when national competitions occur. That is when games start mattering for seeding. If we get in the top two of M.A.R.F.U. we qualify for nationals."
With Madison Bowl, their usual location for practice, currently under construction, the rugby players spend time at Lambeth Field, hoping that their hard work now pays off in March when nationals roll around.
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