University of Virginia Library

Player Of The Week

Footballer Of Sort, Rainey Leads Ruggers

By Bob Cullen

Sport thrives on the charismatic
hero-the man with the flair for
the big play. Baseball has Willie
Mays, hockey has Bobbie Hull
and football had Paul Hornung.

In a scrambling, team ml
like rugby, however, it's often difficult
to pick an outstanding player,
unless he has developed this
quality. Virginia has such a performer
in Julian Rainey, this
week's player-of-the-week.

In a game that takes years to
master, Rainey has ascended to the
ranks of the top backs in eastern
rugby in just two years. When
he joined the club, Rainey quickly
proved his skill as a place kicker,
where he still excels, but his all-around
play at outside three-quarters
has evinced consistent
improvement since he took up the
game.

This year he has continued to
excel despite his demanding
schedule in the medical school that
leaves him very little time to practice.

If the rugby club had a coach,
he would undoubtedly suffer from
ulcers induced by the Rainey style
of play.

He always tries to be where the
ball is. Whether it be gambling
on an interception or pop-kicking
over a defender's head, Rainey is
always alert.

Rainey's greatest contribution
to Virginia rugby is, made with his
right foot. He handles all the set
kicks, which come about after a
try and as a result of various penalties.
Neither distance nor the difficult
angles often encountered
phase him, and a large part of
the credit for the team's success
belongs to his accuracy.

This Sunday's victory over previously
unbeaten Duke provided a
generous helping of vintage Rainey
for rugby enthusiasts. He accounted
for 16 of the Cavaliers'
22 points, running his season's
bag to 61, a total that currently
leads the Eastern Rugby Union.