University of Michigan Men’s Rugby Team

By Jillian Bergsma and Ariel Bronson

Photos by Paul DiStefano

Picture 15 athletes sprinting down the field while carrying an oblong ball, dodging tackles, and desperately trying to score. Complicate that with the fact that each team can only pass the ball backward. Then consider the other 15 opposing players ready to tackle the offense to the ground. Oh, and no one is wearing pads aside from the occasional mouthguard or protective cap. Extend the game for 40 minutes of almost nonstop play, and you have the game that the men’s rugby team at Michigan is playing.

The Michigan Rugby Team has evolved since its inception as a club over 50 years ago. This year, though, they have proven themselves worthy of the move from D-II to D-I. Division I hosts other Big 10 teams, competitive schedules, and new challenges for the men. Look out Division I, our boys are on their way!

“[D-I] is where we should be,” commented Head Coach Matt Trenary. “Our university and club attract competitive people so this challenge fits right in with our goals. We want to do the best we can on the field, in the classroom, and at home, and do so as a club, a team, and individuals. Playing in this division will help us improve in those ways.”

Rugby Club President, Ian Etheart, agreed. “Going D-I is a fantastic opportunity for our team,” he said. “Hopefully, our playing powerhouse teams will increase our presence on campus so that everyone can enjoy rugby as much as we do. Moving to D-I requires us to train harder than ever before in order to maintain the high level of play that D-I demands. It is a very exciting time and right now the sky is the limit.”

The team has oscillated between D-I and D-II in the past, but with an intensified training schedule, heightened sense of camaraderie, and the momentum of making it to the Midwest Playoffs behind them, the rugby team is sure to succeed in their new division. The team has been training nonstop since their final game in November, and is ready to take on the challenges before them in the Division-I category. “We look forward to playing our traditional rivals such as Michigan State and Ohio State,” said Trenary. Gearing up for their upcoming spring season and in preparation for their move to D-I in the fall, the U of M team is busy training long hours at the Oosterbaan Field House to prepare for their first game in March. And, at the end of the month, the team plans to spend spring break touring in France.

With the excitement of a new division on the horizon, the rugby men are active on and off the field. Between training, the team has also hosted events such as a Fall Formal to celebrate their season and a fundraiser for the club at Buffalo Wild Wings. They are also active in community service in the area, such as volunteering at local blood drives and participating in the Volunteers of America Michigan’s Family Adoption Program.

New to rugby? The rugby that the men play at Michigan is rugby union, which is different from rugby league. Here is a quick overview:

• In this game, 15 players from each team are on the field at one time, running, kicking the ball forward, or passing backward to teammates for nearly constant 40 minutes of play per half.
• Points are earned when a player puts the ball down on the ground with pressure on it in the in-goal area or try zone (much like an end zone), or when the ball is kicked between the goal posts. A ‘try’ is worth 5 points and the conversion after is worth 2. Teams can also punt or kick a penalty between the posts to earn 3 points.
• If a ball goes out of bounds, it is thrown back in during a ‘line-out.’
• A scrum takes place when play is stopped because the ball is thrown or fumbled forward. Eight players from either team interlock bodies, pushing to fight for the grounded ball. A ruck occurs after a tackle is made and players from either side come together over the ball to gain or maintain possession.
• All players wear mouth guards, some wear ‘scrum caps’ which protect their head and ears, and others wear non-rigid shoulder pads or shin guards. Minimal padding is part of the challenge of the game.

The sport is played year-round, with main seasons in the fall and spring. Look out for the University of Michigan Men’s Rugby Football Club’s first match of the spring season at Davenport on March 16. Their first home game this spring is against Grand Valley on March 24.

HEAR FROM THE COACHES AND PLAYERS

Freshmen to seniors, architects to pre-med students, the 62 men of the rugby team are a close-knit and hardworking group of guys. LEAD spoke with President Ian Etheart, Captain Michael LaCivita, Strength and Conditioning Coach Stu Roche, as well as team members Brandon Kolk and Chris Vasileff to find out more about their experiences on the Michigan men’s rugby team. Check out their views on going D-I, favorite rugby moments, and what makes the team different from others on campus.

LEAD: What do you see happening for the team now that U of M has gone to D-I?

Coach Roche: “Everyone in the club is very excited about the move to D-I. As U of M students we always strive to be the leaders and best in our studies. Our sport is no different. Of course, we don’t anticipate our introduction to D-I will be a friendly one. There are a lot of teams in the league that see promotion and relegation as a threat to their position in the league. To enter the D-I season in the same fashion as a D-II season would be naïve. And we are not naïve.”

LEAD: What are some of the challenges of moving to D-I?

LaCivita: “The move to D-I will be a challenging one for the club due to the increased level of competition that the move will bring. However, it is a move that the club wanted to make given the values this club holds. The teams we will play in the fall work hard and play great rugby, so we will need to raise our expectations and commitment to compete. We have a great coach in Matt Trenary, who brings a great depth of knowledge and experience to the table and is truly committed to see this club grow. He is a great role model in his professionalism, which rubs off on the rest of the team. In addition, our strength and conditioning coach, Stuart Roche, has a developed plan for making us stronger and better athletes. These efforts will prepare Michigan Rugby to play competitively against the best in the Midwest.”

LEAD: What are some goals of the team for the coming season?

Etheart: “One of our goals every season is to beat State. At the beginning of the season we circle the match versus State on our calendars. They are perennially a great team and always offer tough competition. Being from Ohio, I would love to see a victory over OSU especially since I have a few friends on the team. Besides specific goals, we really want to use this opportunity to become better rugby players and a better rugby team. “

LEAD: What do you think makes the rugby team different from other teams/clubs on campus?

Kolk: “The rugby club and sport is unique in many aspects. After all, it takes a unique individual to enjoy tackling people at high speeds and without any pads aside from the mouthguard between their teeth. Besides the chaos that is rugby, I find it most different from any other club on campus in the way that they embrace newcomers. After attending a single practice, the club makes each individual feel welcome regardless of their background in sports or any type of social activity for that matter. This builds a strong bond between members of the team which is extremely important in game play, where every man needs to support his mates at all times.” 

LEAD: What do you feel was the greatest accomplishment of the team so far this year?

Vasileff: “My proudest accomplishment is making the playoffs this season. After not winning a single game my sophomore year, I would have been happy with just a winning season. But to make the playoffs and travel with my teammates to Pittsburgh was better than I could have possibly imagined.”

LEAD: Tell us more about the playoffs in Pittsburgh.

Etheart: “We awoke the morning of our match to find the ground covered in 4 inches of snow. What ensued was the most miserable, coldest, muddiest game of rugby I have ever played. Unfortunately we ended up losing the game, but there was a moment during the game when all 15 of us were out there cold, wet, and miserable – no one us wanted to play but we all wanted to be there for our teammates. It only took a quick exchange of looks, sounds of chattering teeth, and an impassioned speech from one of our players that really turned the game around for us. Any other sport would have cancelled the games for that day, but we ran around in that mud for all 80 minutes and never complained. The kind of camaraderie and brotherhood that exists between teammates really makes me proud to be a part of this club.”

LEAD: What made you decide to join the rugby team?

Kolk: “I joined the University of Michigan rugby football club during the fall season of my sophomore year in college and haven’t second-guessed my decision since.  Rugby is not considered a popular or common sport in the US, particularly in Michigan (where I’ve lived my entire life), so I was never introduced to it until I came to college. Throughout my life I have always been attached to some type of organized sport, in fact, usually more than one at a time, so when I came to college I needed something else to fulfill that position. Why not a new sport, rugby?”

LEAD: What is one of your favorite memories from being on the team?

Coach Roche: “I think my earliest and perhaps most coincidentally funny memory of being on the team was when I joined the club in January 2010. I was at U of M on a semester exchange through my University back home in England. I had just finished my first semester exams and so I was keen to get outside and ‘run with the pack’ again. I contacted the captain of the team at the time and headed to my very first practice with the UMRFC that night…in Oosterbaan Field House from 12:00 A.M. til 2:00 A.M. in the morning! Keen to make a good impression on the team, I played the hardest, fastest rugby I could. Unfortunately, by the time I had finished, I had broken one team member’s nose, and broke and dislocated another team member’s ankle. Chad had to be morphine-d up and taken to hospital via ambulance that night…it made the crime notes of the newspaper the following day, cool though I’m not sure it required felonious status!”

 LEAD: Any parting thoughts?

Etheart: “I am proud of this club and how it is moving forward in this transition while still maintaining our roots. I cannot think of a better time to play collegiate rugby as it is experiencing a national rebirth and I am humbled and extremely fortunate to be a part of it.”

Can’t get enough rugby? Check out their website at http://www.mrugby.com/, and get ready for the team to enter Division I this fall.