Many athletes at Harding come to their sport with expertise on the field and the incentive of a scholarship. Rugby is instead a walk-on sport, meaning that even players who have not played rugby before can join the team.
Coach Robbie Cribb said this fact makes it difficult to keep the players’ desire to stay with the program.
“No one is on scholarship and no matter how much we say training is mandatory, it’s really up to the players to come or not,” Cribb said.
Rugby, according to Cribb, is a very physical sport, which can also cause injuries that can cause players to leave the team.
“I dislocated my jaw and hurt my shoulder,” freshman Cooper Thompson said. “I feel bad for leaving the guys out there, but it might be best for them.”
This season was Thompson’s first time playing rugby, as it is for many of the current players. Cribb said that although most of the players are new to rugby, many of them are athletic and have caught on quickly.
According to Cribb, some of the strongest players are junior flanker Ben Thomas and junior Hayden Dorsett, who plays scrum half and captained against Freed-Hardeman, leading Harding to a 28-5 win.
“It was a real privilege to lead a great group of guys into the game against Freed,” Dorsett said. “I’ve seen how much heart these guys have, and I was proud of what we were able to accomplish during the game. And I look forward to leading them in the future.”
Freshman Joe Chavez is enjoying his first season.
“The best part of the game is just being able to get out onto that field with your brothers on the team and to have pretty much an all-out battle against your opponent,” said Chavez, who is one of the players who had prior experience with rugby in high school.
The team’s record right now is 1-1, but the competitive season for rugby is in the spring, and Cribb has set a demanding goal.
“The goal of our spring season is nothing less than a conference championship title,” Cribb said. “We lost in the championship match last year by a mere two points, so this goal is very realistic and achievable.”
This is only Cribb’s second season coaching the team, but he said he feels that the team has become more competitive.
“The players respect me for the knowledge I’ve obtained from playing in the Cayman Islands,” Cribb said. “They know that I’m only just relaying what I’ve been taught, which allows training to be productive and efficient.”
Despite the fact that rugby is a walk-on sport, Cribb said he sees discipline in the players.
“Our strategy this year is ultimately to glorify God in all we do,” Cribb said. “We strive to be disciplined on the field and work hard. We’re confident that if we stay disciplined the results will follow.”
