While varsity teams flounder, clubs swim

Without funding or fans, respect or varsity status, Yale's competitive club sports keep on winning.

COURTESY RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB Yale's scrum in action. The Yale Rugby Football Club is 1-0 so far this year.

But so far, this season looks even brighter. As Captain Alex Kallman, MC '01, said, "We've had a great recruiting season. Lots of guys have come out with great potential." Having graduated only four seniors, and with a strong contingent of freshmen coming out to play, the team wants to dominate.

Case-in-point, last week's route of league opponent: Central Connecticut State University. Scrub-half Micah Block, JE '03 explained, "We already shut out and demolished the one team that defeated us last fall, Central Connecticut State, 18 to zero. The team looks to go undefeated this season and make it to the national tournament."

For the uninitiated, rugby is a cross between soccer and football. Each game contains two 40-minute halves. Like football, you can tackle, but unlike football, when you hit the ground the play doesn't stop. The clock never stops and you don't have the luxury of equipment or pads to protect you. This may sound intimidating or downright dangerous, but as one of the best teams on campus with one of the most passionate followings, the rugby team has a great time on and off the field.

To keep on the top of their game, during the fall and spring, the rugby players practice three times a week for three hours a day, run and lift on their off days, and play games each Saturday. Additionally, the team travels to tournaments over spring break and is considering going to Italy or Argentina to play this year. Their first home game this season is on Sat., Oct. 14 against Western Connecticut. —Katie Cole

Last weekend four teams came to New Haven to challenge the Yale Men's Water Polo team. Yale demolished them all, opening their season with a perfect 4-0 record. The men not only won all four of their matches, they won three of the games by over 10 goals.

DAVID GEST/YH The men's water polo team practicing in their smaller-than-regulation pool.

With such a fantastic start, the players are extremely optimistic about their chances to capture the New England Championships, which will take place from Thurs., Oct. 20 to Sat., Oct. 22 to be held this year at Trinity College. The New England title has always eluded the team. Last year the team went into the tournament undefeated, and was disappointed at having to settle for a second place finish.

To be fair, the team has had a huge disadvantage going into the New Englands. The team has always held its practices in the 25-yard pool in the basement of Payne Whitney Gymnasium. When they were forced to play in a 30-meter pool at last year's championships, they were unprepared to handle the greater physical demands that swimming a 30-meter pool placed on their bodies. According to team captain Sean Nuttall, TD '01, "This season we've been swimming about 4,000 yards a day—that's nearly triple what we swam last season. We are now in much, much better shape as a result."

The 18-member team is composed of students from a variety of backgrounds— the team draws its members from both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Experience on the team varies widely as well, ranging from novices to former All-Americans. The center forward Christopher Vandenberg, GRD '05, played semi-professional water polo in Germany this past summer. Vandenberg assists in coaching the players, and is proud to be on a team with such diversity in age and experience— "When you have a considerable number of freshmen who come in with little experience, it's very rewarding to see that they are developing so quickly."

Due to its club status, players must also take on the position of coaches. This year, the men are coached by Xander Dean, TD '02. The women are coached by Nuttall, who feels ambivalent toward the team's club status. Yale gives the men only $500 to cover league dues, and they have to pay all other expenses out of their own pocket. On the other hand, Nutall is grateful for the freedom that Yale gives the men to determine how team is run—"The flexibility offerred by the club sports program comes close to compensating for the almost absolute dearth of money and support."

Freedom in hand, the men's water polo team is prepared to make up for any lacking funds with talent, practice, and a lot of laps. In the end, the one thing men's water polo is not prepared to accept is a second place finish. —Jane Gao

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