Joey Stienburg
Staff Reporter
Every Tuesday and Thursday a select few of McDaniel’s community goes across Route 31 to a small field. These men engage in the most fierce sport. It is the sport of rugby.
This is a new club to the McDaniel College campus, and it is starting to pick up some speed. The club is registered with USA Rugby and is a apart of the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union. Our rugby team is a part of the social union. This means we play for fun and not trophies.
The club was started by senior Ben Cockshot. Cockshot says he started the club because he played it on the beach one day and that he “wanted to be able to play something else besides baseball.” The club has moved forward. But it hopes that it can get more and more support. The more support it can gain the more potential it will have to move into tournament play.
Rob Silva is currently the president of the club and hopes to get more committed players who want to have fun play. He says that over the past two years the improvement is noticeable.
“We are looking at building for the future” and “getting a stronger team,” Silva said.
One of the problems is the team is so small. Imagine playing football where all the linemen are the size of receivers. But Silva notes that he would rather have ” a small guy with a big heart” than a “big guy with no love for the game.”
A returning player Turner Hirsch starting playing rugby because he wanted to get into a sport. He never played in any sports in high school and now he loves rugby. He likes the directions the team is going, but says we still need committed players. Players who will show up to practices.
Last year’s teams had about 18-20 players. Many of them were experienced in the sport. This year’s team, although it has many returning players, also has many new players with no experience. The team is always looking for numbers and motivated people who want to come onto the pitch (which is what the playing field is called). The team wants players who want to run around and have fun.
A lot of people get worried about injuries. So far this year, the team members have had no serious injuries. There have been a lot of bumps and bruises along the way, but it is definitely rewarding, team members said.
Because the club is so young, everyone really gets an opportunity. There is no food chain or particular pecking order, Silva and others said. If you show up to practices you get a shot at glory.
Alex Diely is a new player. He decided to play rugby for a few reasons, including the fact that he was able to escape the “everday stress of college life.” He knew he would fall in love with it after the first practice. And he has. He likes the team’s leadership and said, “Thankfully, older veterans who have played multiple seasons with the team have been more than supportive with showing us how things are done.”
Diely is very happy with the team and the sport: “Sacrificing your body is just part of the reason it’s so exhilarating.”
So if you think you have what it takes, which is really only heart, go out to a practice. Even if you just want to see if you might like it, Silva said.
Practices run from 430 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays right behind Baugher’s restaurant. Cost is free; all you need is a mouthpiece and some rubber tipped cleats would be helpful. Mike Gallagher, a former Campus Safety Officer who has been playing rugby for most of his life, is the coach.
McDaniel Rugby will take on Gettysburg College on April 4. To find out more: Visit the Facebook group called McDaniel Rugby, or call (410) 259- 1307.