Two squads of fifteen ruggers each go racing across the field—more commonly referred to as “the pitch.” Each team is attempting to advance a ball across the opposing team’s try-line. The ball carrier is tackled by the defense. Immediately, a “ruck” ensues, appearing to those in the stands as a chaotic shoving battle for possession of the football .
Such is a snapshot of a moment caught in the middle of a rugby match.
Hillsdale Rugby is a four-year-old club team. It doesn’t demand the same time commitment as varsity sports, but participants would argue that it’s equally enjoyable.
Students from all four classes are joining the team for the first time this year, many of them with no prior playing experience.
“There’s a lot of fellowship on the team. You form a bond—it’s really almost like a fraternity,” said sophomore Dakota Michael.
The current president of the Hillsdale College Rugby Football Club, Jacob Barrett, described his vision for the team this season.
“Of course we want to win some games. But more than anything, I just want to see improvement from each of us, as individual players,” Barrett said.
A lot of this improvement happens at practice where players work on the technical aspects of the game: rucking, passing, kicking.
“Rucking could be the most important part of rugby. It’s a contest for the ball and happens every time a tackle is made. It’s a never-ending football play: either the defense creates a turnover or doesn’t. We play non-stop for close to eighty minutes. It involves a lot of endurance,” Barrett said.
Directly following the conclusion of the game, there is always a social held by the host team.
“We’re here to compete, but we’re all rugby players. Rugby has a kind of culture of its own,” Barrett said.
The two opposing sides come together as comrades to talk about what’s going on in the sports world, share a meal, and decide “the Man of the Match”.
“Rugby is rooted in comradery. It’s a man’s sport. That said, whatever happens on the field stays there,” said sophomore Matteo Moran, who is the current treasurer of the Rugby Club.
Building a new team after an exodus of upperclassmen requires dedication from young players as well as veterans.
“We’ve been trying to gather as many recruits as possible. Anyone who is committed can join,” Michael said.
Hillsdale will be playing an away match at Findlay on Saturday, Sept. 15.
