University of Virginia Library

As Club Sport

Ruggers Provide Constant Winner

Rugger Butch Dietler Smacks Opponent In the Roughest "Gentleman's Game" Going

Virginia Perennially Fields One Of Top Rugby Sides In Nation, And Enjoys It As Well

Last season, the Ruggers fielded
the finest college side in the East,
and ran up a 26-3-1 record. The
only important loss was to Old Blue
in the finals of the Commonwealth
Cup tournament here in
Charlottesville last May. By virtue
of that victory, the New Yorkers
laid claim to Eastern supremacy
among all classes of clubs. Through
the season, however, the Virginians
defeated every collegiate team of
note on the Eastern seaboard.

To go along with the unique
technical aspects of their game, the
Ruggers have borrowed from the
English a unique attitude towards
the sport that makes Rugby such a
joy for players and spectators alike.
The training table is usually
groaning under the weight of
several kegs of beer, which is also
the halftime energy booster. And
win or lose, the party after the
game turns into a well-oiled
songfest, with both sides singing
chorus after chorus of traditional
rugby ballads, most of which are
unfit for printing in a college
newspaper.

The Rugby club maintains no
formal ties with the University
Athletic Department. They have no
coaches and no mandatory practice
schedule. Those that are not tied
down by other commitments
practice and coach each other after
classes in the spring and fall behind
Memorial Gym. Rugby's club status
also permits it to open its doors to
any member of the University
community. The spectrum of
players ranges from first-year men
through Law and Med students, up
to a member of the English
Department well on the dark side

The game that these men play is
the father of American football and
a descendant of English football, or
soccer. In practice it combines
certain aspects of both plus a touch
of several other sports, including
basketball. The object of the game
is to advance the ball, which
resembles a bloated football into
the opposition end zone. Such an
accomplishment is called try, and
is worth three points. Scoring a try
entitles a team to attempt a
conversion, worth two points. A
field goal which is worth three
points, must be drop kicked from
the flow of the action.

The Rugby Club fields three
teams of 15 men each, so that
anyone who wishes to gets a chance
to play. New blood is needed,
literally and figuratively. Practice
will start whenever anyone feels
like getting the ball out on
Nameless Field behind Memorial
Gym.