Playoff-bound rugby fights for league championship

Walter Camp is the father of American football, and without his genius, millions of people would not be glued to their La-Z-Boys every weekend, eating pork rinds, drinking beer, and yelling obscenities at a television. But how many people know that Camp first got his big idea as a player on Yale's legendary rugby team?

ANNA DOLINSKY/YH The men's rugby team heads to the New England playoffs after trouncing Western Connecticut.

This past weekend, despite a transportation snafu that left fans and players stranded at Payne Whit-ney Gym, the men's rugby team continued its winning tradition, crushing Western Connecticut, the only other undefeated team in their league, 27-14. The win earned the Bulldogs a spot in the New England playoffs next weekend. However, Yale must overcome one more obstacle before the start of postseason play. On Sat., Oct. 21, Yale will play Babson to determine the league champion. During the spring season, the team will compete in non-league matches and the important Ivy tournament, as well as international training and competition during spring break. This year, the Bulldogs will look to avenge their disappointing third place finish in the Ivy tournament and to return to their success of 1998, when Yale last won the New England Championships and received a berth in the national tournament.

With a horde of newcomers, the team will rely on returning players and coach Tom McKinlay to turn rookies into game-ready players. "We try to recruit players with immense athletic talent," Micah Block, JE '03, said. "We then try to develop and direct that talent onto the fields." The team practices three times a week, performing skill drills and simulating game situations. For conditioning, McKinlay brought in a former Marine to lead the Bulldogs through intense training once a week. In addition to the boot-camp style training, players also train in the weight room.

Practice can only do so much to prepare the team for the realities of a full contact sport with no pads. One or two players are expected to leave the field permanently during a match. Furthermore, substitutions in rugby are permanent unless a player is bleeding on the field. In this case, the "blood bin" rule allows bleeding players to be treated for their wounds and then return to the game at a later time. Thus far, injuries have ranged from sprains and pulled muscles to broken ribs and split cheeks.

Rugby players see themselves as the unsung heroes of club sports; the team maintains it has not been receiving the support it rightfully deserves. With the third-largest roster of any athletic team at Yale, the squad feels severely underfunded and mistreated by the Administration. As evidence, they point to the difficulties of such routine things as transportation, which has been difficult in recent weeks. However, the team is excited for New Englands and will continue to play with intensity. Camp would be proud.

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