Halfway through a dusky Tuesday evening practice, the men’s rugby team got notified that they had been awarded a bid in the Premier Nationals. After a burst of cheer, they rushed to the sideline for a quick break and returned to practice on the pitch.
This bid means that the A-side team will be competing with high-caliber DI teams in Maryland. With about half of the team graduating or leaving at the end of the semester, this bid is their last chance to compete for the highest rank in the nation.
Heath, Parker and Josh Norton are a set of brothers on the team and this is one of the last times they will get to play together since Heath and Parker are graduating in May.
“Almost every guy on A-side is graduating this may, and so this would be one of the last times playing together before we all graduate, go on to jobs and everything. So being able to get one more chance at a national title would be great,” Parker said.
The brothers have over 20 years of rugby experience between them and are a powerful presence on the pitch. The club’s president and team captain Tom Gauweiler said they really dictate the pacing on the pitch.
“No one is alike when it comes to being as skilled and being as dominating in their presence on the pitch and that’s something I could never do,” Gauweiler said. “Very few of the people that we get here really have that expertise with years and years of experience and also, I mean, that chemistry that you can only have with your siblings.”
On Saturday April 11, the team competed in the Fool’s Gold 7’s Premier Qualifier in Boise, Idaho. If they hadn’t gotten the bid halfway through their practice, this was going to be their way into Nationals. At this point, it was an optional game for them and they just did it for fun.
Both men’s and women’s rugby are club sports which mean they don’t receive any financial backing from the school. Even though the men’s team has consistently had a spot in nationals for the last three years and Parker got recognized as an all-American player in February, some members feel like there’s not enough recognition from the school.
Travel to Boise or Maryland is the player’s responsibility to cover. Each player is required to participate in fundraising activities throughout the year. Gauweiler organizes those events and coordinates the team participation. He tore his ACL at the first practice of the year and was forced to lead from the sideline.
Gauweiler said that even though half the team is leaving at the end of the year, there are a few players that he expects will step into a leadership position. They’ve also recruited a few players from front range high schools and are used to teaching people who are new to rugby.
“We get a lot of people that have never played before that may come from a sport background with- without ever having touched a rugby, um, that want to try something new,” Gauweiler said.
Last fall, the rugby pitch was dug up to install a geothermal expansion and the team has been practicing on the practice football field. It’s about 30 meters more narrow than a standard rugby pitch. The pitch is expected to be re-sodded by the start of the 15’s season in the fall. Jackie Martinez is one of the outgoing players and thinks it’s important for the team to have a dedicated space.
“I think it’ll mean a lot. They’ll have their own space to practice. They can go out whenever they need,” Martinez said. “Out here we have to, you know, share it with strength and condition, they come out here–volleyball, baseball, swimming.”
Despite the setback from the pitch, the team is optimistic about their chances to win nationals and have a high-level team next year. Nationals will be held in Maryland on April 24 and 25.
