Hillsdale Club Rugby competes in a game during the 2024 season.
Courtesy | Joseph Frates
When the Chargers take on the Cedarville University Yellowjackets at home Sept. 13, it will mark the sixth consecutive year of club rugby play, following periods of falling in and out of existence.
Alumni Sam Theole ʼ23 and Luke Turnbow ʼ23 founded the club rugby team in 2019 with hopes of creating a program that would be sustained for many years to come.
“Technically, the club has been around since 2008, but it would periodically die,” Theole said.
One of the reasons Theole said he thinks the team has had continual growth is because no second-semester seniors are allowed to hold leadership roles. This means that the president, coaches, and board members are students who will return beyond the current season, which Theole said attracts new athletes to the team.
“Everyone is encouraged to come out and try it,” Theole said. “Most guys had zero experience coming in.”
Junior forward Luke Jones is one athlete who had no rugby experience prior to playing at Hillsdale.
“I was recruited before classes even started,” Jones said. “I went out to my first practice and it was great.”
The Hillsdale club rugby team is entirely student-led. Senior Paden Hughes is the club president. The team is coached by senior Luca Vitale and sophomore Charles Hickey, who handle the backs and the forwards respectively.
The club rugby team receives a stipend of $1000 per academic year, as do all other intercollegiate sports teams, from the college, however, that is not the main source of funding for the team, according to Hughes.
“The team is funded primarily by donations from parents, alumni, and friends,” Hughes said.
The funds for the team are split between a fall season and a spring season.
The Chargers compete as a member of Division III of National Collegiate Rugby. In the fall, the squad typically plays six or seven matches in addition to the postseason. In the more informal spring season, the squad plays five or six matches, according to Jones.
Hillsdale’s schedule often includes the University of Michigan, Western Michigan University, Cedarville University, and the University of Notre Dame.
When asked why they play on the club rugby team, Jones and sophomore back Peter Kaiser gave similar answers: camaraderie.
“The camaraderie is not just amongst the team, it is amongst the whole sport,” Kaiser said.
The Chargers have as many as 30 players on the team this season.
“The brotherhood and having to rely on my closest friends is what I miss the most,” Theole said.
Kaiser emphasized the importance of trust between athletes as they compete.
“We talk about it all the time, you have to trust the guy on your left and your right to cover their guy and make the tackle,” Kaiser said.
Theole said everyone on the rugby roster plays an important role.
“You are only as strong as your weakest link,” Theole said.
Hillsdale College students, faculty, and staff can witness the camaraderie of the team during their home matches this semester.
In addition to the match against the Yellowjackets, the Chargers will also be playing the Xavier University Musketeers in a rematch of last year’s postseason matchup at home Sept. 27.
