University of Virginia Library

Seventh Season

Ruggers Commence

Someone has finally located the
ball and some uniforms, so the
Virginia Rugby Football Club will
begin its seventh season this week
with practices at 4 each afternoon.
This year, the grunts of the serum,
the oofs of the backs, and the slurp
of the suds will cho into the cars
of Cavalier Rugby aficionados
from a new venue, at least during
practice.

Due to the completion of the
new football practice fields, the
Ruggers will be drilling on Cart's
Hill Field, across University Avenue
from the tennis courts. Still to be
determined is the site for home
matches, which will either be Carr's
Hill or the more traditional pitch of
Nameless Field.

The first competitive encounter
will be with the Richmond Rugby
Club's A and B teams on Sunday
September 29 here in
Charlottesville. The ensuing Fall
schedule calls for matches on the A,
B, and C levels every weekend until
Thanksgiving, with Sunday games
on the Grounds every home
football weekend.

Down through the years, Rugby
at Virginia has provided sports
competition for a generous number
of the University community, with
the players coming from the faculty
and graduate schools as well as the
undergraduate element. This broad
spectrum of support has been one
of the primary reasons for the
club's success, according to George
McCallum, the current president.

McCallum went on to say that
experience or the lack of it is not a
crucial factor in the Rugby Club,
and that many of today's stars
played in the first game they ever
saw.

Coming off a season that saw
them win 26 games and lose only
three, Virginia Rugby faces a
rebuilding task this fall if they are
to duplicate their high Eastern
ranking next spring. Gone are Tom
Lavoy, Julian Rainey, and Tovi
Kratovil, to mention only a few,
from last year's top XV. The B and
C ranks were also heavily depleted
through graduation losses.

McCallum will, however, see
some familiar faces when he opens
today's practice at 4. Wing Butch
Diter, Backs Allie Duckworth and
Dickie Payne, and scrummers
Carroll Ladt and Jim Rollins were
mainstays of last year's team, and if
capable replacements can be found
for the dear departed, should lead
the club to another winning season.

Star Tailback Frank Quayle