Women’s Team:

The late Henry Blaha said, “Rugby is a beastly game played by gentlemen.” Not at USU.

Led by first year head coach Dennis Kohler and club president and player Vanessa Avila-Esparza, the USU Women’s Rugby Club may still be unknown to some, but not for long.

“Girls always say, ‘There is a women’s rugby team?’,” Avila-Esparza said. “And then they always say, ‘That’s awesome.’”

“I can’t really put my finger on one thing,” Kohler said, when asked why some girls on campus are drawn to a physical sport typically associated with only the manliest of men.

Kohler said rugby converts have ranged from soccer veterans craving another competitive sport to girls with no experience playing team sports, however, he thinks the sports overriding appeal may have something to do with the its emphasis on team play.

“Rugby, unlike other sports, allows everybody a chance at glory,” Kohler said. “Any player can score, any player can shine. In a sense, the game of rugby is somewhat of a drug – once you play it, you have to have more.” The Aggies, a Division II club in the Women’s Collegiate Division of the United States of America Rugby Football Union, are hoping a successful fall season will earn them the opportunity to play for something greater in the spring.

The teacher in Kohler said he hopes the fall season will help the players improve overall fitness, game knowledge and individual skills, but acknowledged the ultimate goal, saying, “Of course we want to play well enough to qualify for the national championships.”

Avila-Esparza leads 11 returning players and a talented cast of newcomers who are hoping increased commitment to the team will yield greater results than in years past.

“In recent years there has been a lack of commitment from some players,” Avila-Esparza said. “This year we want everyone to put rugby at the top of their list, besides school of course.”

Juniors Avila-Esparza and Hannah Turner, the club’s vice president, along with sophomore Lyndsey Jackman, the club’s secretary, are a few of the players who will be counted on to provide leadership on and off the field this season, but Kohler and his players stressed the importance of the team over individual recognition.

“Right now, we all need to work on building a better team,” Kohler said. “In the end, good rugby teams win and lose based on how well they play together as a team.”

Avila-Esparza agreed, noting many of the girls have administrative responsibilities associated with the club to go along with their roles on the field.

“There are many ways to be a leader in our club,” she said. “Everyone has a responsibility and we all work together.”

The Aggies opened the season this past Saturday against the Salt Lake City Slugs, a very experienced community team. The Aggies were unable to come away with a victory, but Kohler was pleased with the team’s performance.

“I was impressed with all of our players,” she said. “The new people fit in well, and the whole team meshed better, honestly, than I expected us to this early in the season.”

Avila-Esparza echoed the coach’s praise of the Aggie newcomers, recognizing the improvement that should come as a result of the rookies having a game under their belts.

“I would say it was a learning experience,” she said. “Our next game is this Saturday against Colorado State, and now that the new people have more of an idea of what a game is like, we hope to do better and win.”

The Aggies will play CSU in Provo this Saturday, and welcome instate rival BYU to Logan Sept. 26. Game time against the Cougars is set for 11 a.m.

Men’s Team:

As of late, men’s rugby in the state of Utah has been building quite the national name for itself.

The Highland High rugby team out of Salt Lake City won their 19th national championship in the last 24 years, last season. The remarkable accomplishment may have been overshadowed, however, by “Forever Strong,” the documentary featuring “The Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin, which is based on true stories about the storied Rams program. Instate rival BYU is also coming off its first ever Division I National Championship.

That’s all well and good, but the Utah State men’s rugby club is hoping to make a few headlines themselves, this season.

“I want to get to the playoffs, beat the University of Utah and give BYU a challenge,” said club President Teddy Smith when asked about the goals he has for this year’s team.

As part of the Men’s Collegiate Division II classification, earning a spot in the playoffs will require the Aggies to finish first in their six-team league, something they fell agonizingly short of last season.

The Aggies finished the regular season tied atop the league standings with rival Utah Valley University, but lost in a tie-breaker game played on the Wolverines home field.

The team will be led by a stellar, physical group of forwards featuring Smith, Jeremy Hanks and Jake Gunter. The speedy Porter Macey will be looked upon to provide leadership for the backs, and the team hopes some talented newcomers will help provide the lift they need to get them over the top.

Smith said he thinks this may be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Aggies, but after their opening tilt this past Saturday against Weber State, some may wonder if Smith wasn’t being a bit too modest.

The Aggies traveled down to Ogden and walloped the Wildcats, 42-8. Macey and fellow back Kade Robinson drew specific praise from Smith for their efforts on Saturday.

“They did exceptionally well,” he said. “Last year we had problems with our backs, but this year we can count on them.”

This Saturday the Aggies will be playing in the North and South Tournament held in Pocatello, Idaho. Joining the Aggies will be tournament host Idaho State, Boise State, Weber State and possibly a few local club teams. Smith says the North and South Tournament will become an annual event, changing venues each year.

In his time playing for the Aggies, Smith says he has seen a continual rise in the sport’s popularity on campus. The Aggies first practice of the season saw 60-70 people show up.

“What’s really helping is that it is starting to grow at high schools in Utah,” Smith said, noting many football players join rugby teams to stay in shape, and some end up picking the oval-shaped ball over the pigskin.

While he is excited about the increased interest in the sport, Smith hopes rugby newcomers recognize the transition to the sport may be a difficult one, and that it is important to stick with it.

“We do a really good job with recruiting, and we’re pretty patient,” Smith said. “But, usually what happens is they get nervous because rugby has different terminology, or they are intimidated by the hitting, or they are afraid to make mistakes.”

“You can’t learn rugby in a day. I’ve been playing for eight years and I still don’t know everything.”

–majerusforpresident@yahoo.com