Club rugby aims to kick off season at Georgia Tech

Rugby team anticipates eight-game Spring season After the cancellation of the Georgia College rugby squad’s opener, the players are eager to kick off the season against Georgia Tech on Feb. 4.
The club, led by Coach Joel Farley Seagraves and co-founder of the club sophomore pre-engineering major Kyle Dennis, mixes hard work and fun as they condition and scrimmage on the field to get prepared for the season ahead. Despite the frigid weather, the tightknit club stays in high spirits as players provide bursts of comic relief that keep everyone laughing. Along with the fun, there is an air of seriousness about the season.
“We’ve really built off of last year, and we’ve really grown as a team,” junior political science major John Chagaris said. “I really hope we can make something happen for the season.”

The club expects approximately eight regular games this season, and they hope to attend a tournament in Savannah in March if they can receive sufficient funding. According to Coordinator of Recreational Sports, Bert Rosenberger, the rugby team receives about $1,000 for travel, expenses, hotels, tournament entry fees, uniforms, etc.
The club is currently looking for sponsors to fund that tournament and other travel opportunities. The players also hope to get better jerseys by the end of the season if they are able to find the sponsors that they need.
“We just started the team last year, so we are always looking for more players,” Dennis said. “All you have to do is show up for practice, and you get to play.”
There are currently 22 players on the team, but it gladly welcomes any new prospects. Dennis encourages anyone who is interested to attend practice on West Campus. The club regularly practices every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. Although practice locations vary, it is usually on the intramural fields at The Village. Practice times and locations are also posted on the rugby club’s Facebook page, which can be found under “bobcat’s rugby team.” Anyone can practice with the club, but in order to play in the actual games, it is necessary to register with the USA Rugby Club and Individual Participation Program. The CIPP helps players avoid a lawsuit if anyone were to get injured, since rugby is such a precarious sport.
Despite the roughness of the sport, the players in the club have really bonded over their love of the game. Everyone has a role to play, and they all work together in order to do their best and have fun. They have even turned a few of the teammates’ house into the “Rugby House” where the entire club can come together and hang out. The boys hope that when they graduate they will be able to come back and see how far the club has come.
“Every time you join a rugby team, you instantly get friends for life,”  freshman math major Ethan Eloquin said. “If you want friends for life, play rugby.”