Once a struggling and often overlooked franchise, the Pepperdine men’s rugby team is one of the most promising groups the school has seen in recent memory.
Heading into preseason, the Waves had no reason not to be optimistic, intentionally planning a schedule that junior forward and president of the team Mac Jacobs described as very tough so as to test and gauge the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
With a 4-1 record thus far, the Waves have performed well and are taking major strides in preparation for the regular season, which starts in January.
We’ve gotten a lot better Jacobs said, referring to the team’s turn around last season that has carried over to this year’s group. We suffered a couple injuries but other than that we’ve been playing really well.”
Compiling an impressive 10-4 record last season the Waves finished third overall in Division II with two of those losses coming from competitive matches with Division I teams. Having fared so well Pepperdine gained national recognition and was rewarded with a promotion to the next highest level of competition the University Division which is only one notch down from all the major powerhouses in Division I.
Along with increased national interest came a strong response from the student body as more than 60 students showed up for tryouts creating a healthy competitive atmosphere right from the start. Having played on the team two years ago when they were scrambling to get enough players on the field junior scrum half Mark Burcham said the difference from then and now is monumental.
“We got some bigger guys than usual Burcham said. We got some quick guys too so we’re a lot quicker and bigger than we were two years ago. Last year we started doing so good got a fan base and some more coaches. Now it’s like a legit thing at Pepperdine. We don’t have a football team so people come out to rugby club.”
Previously coached solely by Robert Ahola this year’s squad has three coaches on staff. Stepping in for Ahola as head coach is Peter Tulaney with Ahola manning a lesser role as an assistant. The other assistant coach Kelly Serfoss plays super league rugby for Santa Monica and brings his experience to the group. All three coaches bring a dynamic mixture of wisdom and understanding of Rugby that Jacobs said the team doesn’t take for granted.
“Robert Ahola has been around rugby forever Jacobs said. He stepped down as the head coach but he still puts a lot of time and effort into it and we’re very grateful about that. Our head coach Peter Tulaney puts a lot of time and effort getting us out there motivated. And Kelly Serfoss is a phenomenal player and teaches us a lot about the game.”
Last Saturday the Waves routed Cal Lutheran on the road 40-12. The game was originally slated as a home game but because of the smoke in Malibu it was moved to Cal Lutheran. Luckily that didn’t change the outcome.
“Usually we don’t outsize a team but we had the size advantage on them Burcham said. So we could just crash the ball and we were just more skilled I’d say.”
The team’s final preseason game is this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Malibu against Occidental College.