The sun hit hard on a record-breaking day for temperatures on Saturday morning in Tempe. You would think most people would stay inside or find relief in the shade. Not so if you’re on Arizona State University's club rugby team.
They gathered that day, from 9 a.m. 'til 11 a.m., to run strength and conditioning drills as they prepared for their new season in a much tougher division.
No complaints could be heard as they powered through sets of pushups, situps and running drills.
ASU Rugby has gotten used to being one of the top teams in Division II. Much preparation will be needed for their first season in the highly competitive Division I.
“Every win in that league is going to be tough to get and one to celebrate where as in Division II level the team went unbeaten in the Southern Cal league,” said assistant coach Will Thompson, known to the team as “Salty."
Thompson believes head coach Gary Lane deserves a lot of credit for the success of ASU’s rugby program.
Dan McCoy, senior rugby player and co-president of the team, agreed. “This guy just goes above and beyond in everything he does,” McCoy said. “We’re where we are because of him and his efforts.”
McCoy, who is entering his third year on the team, said he began playing rugby when he was stationed with the Marines. One day, a fellow marine wanted to leave the base early to go to rugby practice with the Yuma Sidewinders. When McCoy heard, he asked if he could tag along.
“So I played with them for 2 ½ years on and off,” McCoy said. “One of the guys there knew the coaches here so it was an easy transition.”
He has been hooked on the sport ever since.
McCoy believes rugby is more of a culture than football. Most of the players train together and live together. He feels that people have a misconception about rugby players being “a bunch of heathens.”
“We’re just solid guys who do solid things,” McCoy said. “A lot of the guys do charity work you wouldn’t know about but still play the college game at the same time. That’s just a dynamic you don’t generally find anywhere else.”
Senior David Hill, 21, has been on the team since his freshman year. He had never played rugby before.
“They teach you from the bottom up so anyone can come out,” Hill said.
He said he enjoys being on the team because it allows him to make new friends, go on trips and stay in shape.
Senior Travis Hughes, 21, is also entering his fourth year on the team. He encourages anyone interested to try out for the team, even if they are new to the game.
“Rugby is interesting because even if you’ve never played before, a lot of different things and aspects from other sports translate well whether it’s basketball, soccer or football,” Hughes said. “A lot of people who have played other sports can kind of wander in and that’s what happened to me.”
If you’re interested in joining the team, call their recruiting hotline 480-788-8770, e-mail recruiting@asurugby.com or just come out to the team’s practices at the SRC field in Tempe every Tuesday and Thursday night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
I’m Jose Zavala, and I’m here to tell the untold stories of ASU sports teams, clubs and athletes. Did you know ASU has a bowling club? Did you know we have both a fencing and curling club? While I’ve played and been a fan of baseball, basketball and football, I’ve always been drawn to stories about athletes and teams that receive little media coverage, yet still put in a tremendous amount of work in the pursuit of greatness. Get in the huddle. Reach me at jlzavala@asu.edu.
