They play in mud and mayhem. They celebrate with post-game revelry, complete with boisterous songs and hard drinks. They slap their teammates with endearing nicknames such as "Mr. Tinklepants" and "Ogre."
Indeed, male ruggers are a breed of their own. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the rugby club teams at NESCAC schools, where rivalries and timeless rugby traditions persist.
As USA Rugby, rather than the NCAA, presides over collegiate rugby, formal conference competition and championships do not exist in this club sport. NESCAC rivalries usually reserved for varsity sports, however, are alive and well among the league's rugby club teams within rugby's own local organizing body, the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU).
NERFU Div. II rugby sees the brunt of the league rivalry, as traditional NESCAC foes Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby all compete in Div. II's North Conference, vying for the top records and the right to compete in larger Northeast tournaments.
"It is definitely more important to us to beat Colby and Bates because they are NESCAC schools," Bowdoin coach Rick Scala said. "Colby traditionally is just a big rival for our school in all sports. There is always additional incentive when we play them."
Preeminence on the pitch, however, is not the only battle that rugby club teams face. Because rugby is classified as a club sport, and not a varsity sport, NESCAC rugby teams constantly face financial struggles.
"In the past, we have been very successful and traveled to a number of tournaments, often times fronting the bill for food, travel, and accommodations ourselves, which can get a little pricey," said junior James Lowe, a co-captain of the Tufts squad.
Amherst Rugby's website prominently features a link to a PayPal server encouraging supporters to donate money to the club. Williams ruggers also face an uphill battle. At the end of September, the Williams Athletic Department recommended that the school's administration cut funding for its club coaches by 10 percent annually and for club insurance by 20 percent annually over the next five years, leaving rugby and other club sports to fend for themselves.
"We were faced with the escalating costs of liability insurance, coaching, and adding EMT's," Williams coordinator of club sports Richard J. Farley said. "The Athletic Department did not want to deal with club funding from a medical point of view. We felt that since club sports are initiated by students and run by students, they are a separate entity."
In Williams' case, the policy is still under review, and a crisis may be diverted thanks to the generosity of the Ephs' supporters.
"Because Williams is Williams, someone will put in some money, and the club funding will be like it has been for 100 years," Farley said.
Nonetheless, the consideration given to the plan highlights the financial crunch experienced by club sports throughout the NESCAC.
Club athletes also run into difficulties on the medical front, as athletic trainers often service varsity athletes differently than they do club team players. Colby's Health and Counseling Services requires non-varsity athletes to receive a referral from a practitioner in order to receive physical therapy, while varsity athletes can schedule an appointment themselves. According to the guidelines set in the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook, Bowdoin's athletic training services and Trinity's sports medicine services provide nearly exclusive treatment to their school's varsity athletes and visiting varsity players and only treat club players in the case of an emergency.
Despite the obstacles, the immediate future of men's club rugby in NESCAC schools appears to be safe, especially considering the committed and passionate personalities that exist in the game today.
Bruce Stephenson, now in his 11th year as coach of the Williams squad, has been involved with the sport for 37 years, playing, coaching, refereeing, and advising rugby teams. A feature on Stephenson in the Oct. 4 edition of the Williams Record reflects his dedication. To coach the Ephs, the coach travels 50 miles four times a week from his home in Brattleboro, Vt.
At Middlebury, head coach Ward Patterson, now in his 10th season, has shown a passion for rugby since his days at Principia College, where he founded the club team that he eventually coached. He attributes his passion for the game to its ability to build character.
"Rugby is a sport that in my experience provides the opportunity to learn about who you are," Patterson said. "It is very high intensity because there is no time to react. So it encourages you to learn to instinctually play ethically with courage, fortitude, teamwork, and the ability to cope with humiliation. Rugby is truly one of the finest character-educators I know."
