Rugby team heads to tournament undefeated
The Tigers will play four games in two days in Norman, Okla.
Published Nov. 13, 2007
Undefeated and unafraid, MU men's rugby heads to the Big 12 tournament in Okalahoma this Saturday.
"There is no reason we couldn't win it if we play the best that we can," junior Jeff Rehder said.
Rehder said the team might not be able to play the best it can because of recent injuries to starters.
Rehder sprained his ankle in St. Louis against the St. Louis Bombers Rugby Football Club, and he might not play in the tournament.
He said he is off crutches but hasn't worked out on it yet.
"It could effect us, Jeff is really good," backs captain Scott Smith said. "We are going to have another guy replace him, our depth helps a lot."
Starter Brian Bage broke his right forearm in the same game when he dove to tackle another player.
"His legs scissored my right arm and broke both of the bones in it," Bage said.
Bage said he believes that rookie Aaron Lewis will take his place and the team will not suffer much because of it.
"He runs and plays hard, and with more experience he'll become an even better player," Bage said.
Also, freshman DJ Stanger sprained his ankle against Southern Illinois University Carbondale and will not attend the Big 12 tournament.
"With our rotation of players, we should be OK," Stanger said.
Players who are not injured have been focusing on their conditioning in preparation for this weekend's games at University of Okalahoma's Big 12 tournament.
Smith said the Tigers will play four games in two days, which is more difficult than their weekly games because of the frequency and level of competition.
Smith said practices become more conditioning-based and he has been looking at other teams' Web sites to see what to expect.
"Every team from the Big 12 should be there, and some of them are really good Division I teams," club President John Victor said.
Victor said rivalries between Big 12 schools in other sports such as football and basketball isn't present in rugby
competition.
"Rugby is a close-knit group, we all come together after the games," Victor said.
As part of this sense of community, Smith recalls the OU rugby clubhouse, a small house with walls that are covered in rugby memorabilia.
"All the jerseys of alumni are hung up, it's just really cool," Smith said.
Because of how well MU has played this year, it is likely that they will move to Division I next fall. Victor said the team has been in touch with the Western Rugby Union about which other teams they would play in order to qualify as a Division I team, which would allow them to play at the national competition.
"Right now, the decision is on hold as far as the Western Rugby Union is concerned," Victor said. "The team has to decide if we want to do the traveling."
The Tigers finish the semester undefeated, winning last weekend's game against Washington University in St. Louis 25-7.
After the Big 12 tournament, the rugby team will be finished playing for the season but will resume in the spring with St. Louis University's Mardi Gras Tournament.
Smith said all players are returning next season and a few others will also join.