Rugby

Author: Simon Keyes

Head Coach: Ward Patterson
Captains: Craig Wilson '08, Luke Yoquinto '08, Alex White '09
Save the Date: Sept. 15 vs. Boston University
Get it Stat: 10 - Number of players who graduated from last year's national championship team

The sight of a hoard of men all in Middlebury Navy performing the Haka, a traditional posture dance also performed by the New Zealand National Ruby team, is more than intimidating. It is symbolic of the teams strength and unity.

It was unity and dedication that propelled this club to its very first national championship last spring. Every member of the team prepared for their practices and games as if they were official varsity teams. During last year's spring break, after plans for a trip to Washington, D.C. fell through, 29 players agreed to trade in sunscreen and board shorts for scrapes and bruises as they spent their vacation practicing on Kohn Field. The men sacrificed their bodies with grueling six to nine hour practice days spent on training sessions, video analysis, chalk talk and weight lifting. The training obviously paid off in a national title.

Look for more of the same this year as the men face a more difficult path to the championship. Not only will they have a target on their backs as defending champs, but the team will have to cope with the loss of 10 of the team's top 18 players. The team's first game, according Coach Ward Patterson, who recently was awarded a full-time coaching position by the college, will be a major barometer of this year's squad. Unlike other varsity teams who have preseason scrimmages, the rugby team does not enjoy such luxuries and will instead be thrust immediately into the heat of battle.

Regardless of the challenges, rest assured the team will tackle its obstacles together. "My hopes are that we will continue to play as a team and win as a team," said Patterson. "That was our specialty last year and I see no reason to change."

The women's team opens its season at home on Sept. 29 against Smith College. Backs captain Jessica Weiss '08 said, "Our preseason training this year was very productive. We've got a lot of depth which we haven't always had. We're very optimistic about our chances and the acquisition of new players."