Pepperdine club rugby team risks injury, displays love for dangerous game in front of fans at Alumni Park.
JANELLE STRAWSBURG
Staff Writer
Paul Clark/Photo Editor
A lone striped figure tucks the oval shaped ball into the cradle of his arm as his calves tense, preparing to spring against the onslaught of opposition desiring to tear him limb from limb. Literally. The crowd parts; nothing shields him from the 15 burly men racing toward him.
In split seconds, he goes from flying across the field surface to … smack. His face unpleasantly is greeted by a swinging elbow. Down for the count his mouth fills warm with blood. Dazed and distracted, he hears the ever-concerned voices of teammates, “C’mon kid walk it off.” He slowly picks himself up, shakes his head, spits out the blood, and jogging with a spring in his step heads back to …the scrum?
Welcome to a Pepperdine rugby match, where injuries are mere annoyances and blood spilled is just a covenant between brothers. Rugby is one of the oldest club sports at Pepperdine, with a tradition lasting more than 25 years. With more than 30 dedicated players, a veteran coach and a solid fall season record of 4-2 under its belt, the rugby team loooks forward to repeat its past success in this upcoming spring season.
Paul Clark/Photo Editor
Head Coach Robert Ahola, a player of the sport for more than 20 years, has confidence in his team to repeat its 11-1 season.
“Our team has a great attitude, they really love the game,” Ahola said. “We have enough veterans coming back from last year’s 11-1 season to understand the dynamics of winning and also the dynamics of playing together. What I like best about this group is they have a sense of family, a sense of team.”
Hunter Poarch, junior second-year inside center and co-captain, speaks of the guys not merely as teammates but as friends, a deep friendship that is forged out of the high intensity and often dangerous game of rugby.
“We’ve all got a lot of respect for each other,” Poarch said. “We show a lot of support for each other; we try to help one another improve our games and also back each other up against opponents. This fall we’ve had a lot of first-years step up and make a difference in the team, and our veterans are always invaluable to the program.”
Pepperdine rugby is in the green division of Division II Rugby Union. Kenny Felkel, senior second row two-year veteran, explains that while Pepperdine is always looking to move up into higher divisions, such as the gold second division or first division, most rugby teams will always remain on the club sport level.
“Most rugby teams are club teams because it is a really dangerous sport, and universities don’t want to take that risk because we get hurt a lot,” he said.
Injuries are common with the high intensity, high impact characteristic of rugby. Broken noses, black eyes and sprained ankles are nothing new for the team — most players just play through such injuries, including Poarch, who said he had his nose broken three times in the past two years, including in consecutive weekend games this season.
“Some of the most intense moments in rugby are when we go up against some of the really big guys,” said the six-foot-seven-inch, 240-pound Felkel. “And I mean, I’m a really big guy, but guys that are bigger than me that can just pummel me, because, well, I usually don’t get pummeled, that is pretty intense.”
A small but dedicated bunch of rugby faithful frequent Alumni Park most weekends to catch the team in action and savor the international feel of the sport.
“I love rugby because it is such a pure game; it is continuous and fast-paced, but there is a lot of strategy behind it,” junior Haley Rice said. “I mean, in football when you think of the Patriots you think of Tom Brady, and he is the one star of the team. Rugby is much more like soccer in that it is a complete team sport as far as sharing in the glory goes — there isn’t just one star.”
A sense of togetherness is essential to the success of a rugby team especially with the key concept of “support.” In the game of rugby, considered a quasi blending of soccer and football, team members cannot at any time throw the ball in a forward motion. The ball is moved forward through either running, series of lateral passes to support players behind the forerunner and then running the ball, or forward kicks, all in hopes of grounding the ball in the try-zone for a score. Teams can put points up on the scoreboard through tries worth five points, conversions worth two and drop kicks worth three.
As the second largest field sport behind soccer in the world, rugby offers an international community for players to embrace.
“Most people don’t realize that you actually have a brotherhood, a fraternity of players all over the world,” Ahola said. “Once you start playing rugby you fall into a global community of players. You can play the sport forever, as long as you like, and all over the world.”
Rice agreed, saying it is an international sport and, in many countries, a symbol of nationalism.
“The rugby world cup has been growing exponentially in the last couple of years,” he said. “It is such an important sport in so many other countries; I mean, it doesn’t hurt to give it a go in America does it?”
Although influential on the international level, for 30 men in Malibu, rugby provides an athletic outlet that fuels competition, camaraderie and courage.
“It’s the best test of an athlete that you could possibly have,” Ahola said. “It tests your courage, your conditioning, your intelligence and your sense of situational awareness. But it’s also the camaraderie and friendship you gain. Rugby is a great test of your skills.”
Poarch echoed the words of his coach.
“Rugby is a great tradition, there is so much more to it than just the game,” he said. “It is a sport that can challenge your heart, mind and body. The heart and dedication of this team is unmatched. We don’t get as much support from the school as we would like, but because of our love for the game we are able to always turn the season into something good and productive.”
Impassioned, enthusiastic and dedicated, the men of Pepperdine rugby are seeking to bring the Waves to new heights in the Cup season this spring, and hopefully have twice as many fans join them in their pursuit of greatness.
“We really appreciate the support we do get from fans,” Poarch said. “Not huge numbers typically, but the dedicated ones that do come out we really are thankful for. But for next semester we are hoping to get a lot more people to come out and watch us.”
11-16-2006
