For several years, the sport of rugby has largely stayed under the radar. Despite being one of the most popular sports in countries like England, Australia and New Zealand, rugby has yet to hit a stride of continued success until very recently.
Rugby at the University of Idaho is comparable. The last few years, the team has been plagued with a low turnout, unfortunate weather conditions and disorganization of the team’s current division, the Northwest Cup.
But since the arrival of head coach and former Marine rugby player Lanny McAden in fall 2015, the sport has been on the rise, both at Idaho and around the nation.
The rising popularity of the sport has contributed to the renewed success of the Idaho men’s rugby team. A team that once resorted to playing seven-man rugby because there was not a large enough turnout to field 15.
With a core of young, determined talent and a team-lead organizational structure, the Vandals have been making strides to become a championship contender each semester.
A walloping at Gonzaga in fall 2016 signified rock bottom for the team, as the chances to move up to the larger Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference (NCRC) appeared to diminish. But Idaho’s rugby team was not about to go anywhere, it was just time for a change.
Rugby at Idaho used to be built around the social aspect of the sport. Teams would often go into a contest without a serious attitude, instead only playing for the eventual end of the game. America has seen a growing interest in the sport in the last five years — the lackadaisical approach to a game has almost completely disappeared. Teams now play for championships and credibility.
“We’re a lot more strict on being serious about the sport now” junior forward captain and vice president Jon Ryan said. “We’re here to win, not to mess around.”
Although the team shares several players with lacrosse in the spring, rugby now averages a turnout of about 25 players per game. Only a fraction of the team played rugby in high school, and many of the players had not explored the possibility of playing rugby until enrolling in college. Because many were either football players or wrestlers in high school, the sport offered an opportunity to continue their athletic careers.
“I actually had no idea what rugby was until I was about to go to college,” sophomore backs captain and team president Zach Blume said. “Once I started to learn the rules I found out I really liked the sport. Because it’s a team sport there’s that team aspect to it, and there’s a bunch of guys you meet that you become friends with.”
As the years pass, the team only continues to become closer, and many consider their teammates their best friends.
Blume said the majority of his college career thus far has been defined by his time on the rugby team, and the team has continually proven that success on the pitch can be derived from a close team.
“My best friends here are all on the team,” Ryan said. “We have fun when we can but now we’ve become motivated to win. We’ll get on each other every once in a while when we’re down, but we’ll always pick each other back up. We had trouble with that when I first got here, but Lanny picked the team up.”
The Vandals now sit atop the division with a 5-0 record, despite three game wins from forfeits of smaller schools. McAden said his goal for the season has been accomplished at this point.
When he first took the coaching position, the team was severely fragmenting and in need of some major rebuilding. Because McAden, with help from the team’s student officers, has been able to rebuild the team, there is now an opportunity to join the NCRC.
The NCRC is the leading rugby conference in the Northwest, featuring schools like Washington, Oregon and Gonzaga. Each contest now is a test for the Vandals. If they can put together commendable performances against larger schools, than a move up in division is in close reach.
“We played Central Washington in sevens last year, one of the best teams in the nation, with scholarships and all,” Ryan said. “They actually scored on us less than they did on any other team. We’re really trying to build on our competition and boost what we already have.”
Formerly a perfect fit for the smaller Northwest Cup division, Idaho has now outgrown the group of smaller schools.
As Idaho’s rugby team improves, so does the university’s involvement in the sport. Until recently, players had to volunteer their own vehicles to drive to tournaments, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Now, Idaho provides transportation for the team and even matches the team’s fundraising. Blume said Butch Fealy, the director of competitive and recreational sports, has been a huge help to the team’s success.
The club is not an exclusive one by any means. Recruiting is done primarily at campus events such as Palouseafest and UIdaho Bound.
The sport is not “pay to play” either. But each athlete must purchase a mouth guard, cleats and, just in case of injury, an insurance policy from USA Rugby, the governing party for all rugby in the United States.
McAden said the team begins each season with tackling drills and continuously does so throughout the year
“We always preach wrapping up, there’s only been one major injury since I’ve been here, and it was because they bumped heads,” McAden said. “Idaho high school football and even the Seattle Seahawks have adopted rugby style tackling.
Though Idaho rugby may have gone undetected by many students, McAden hopes that people will soon realize how much of a spectator sport it can actually be.
The team hosts an alumni game every year, and hosted a tournament in the Kibbie Dome last fall. The alumni game is a chance for former Idaho rugby players to face off against the current team.
“The whole weekend is dedicated to them — it’s a blast,” Blume said.“We all play a game and then go out to dinner. They still beat us though.”
The Vandals will travel to Cheney, Washington, this weekend for a matchup against Eastern Washington, a NCRC team.
Colton Clark can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @coltonclark95