Do you enjoy watching football, but hate the stoppages between every play? Or how about soccer; do you love to watch the beautiful game but wish there was more contact? Well, then rugby is the sport for you. Set primarily as a hybrid of football and soccer, rugby brings the fast-paced non-stop nature of soccer and throws in some big time hits and human contact from football as well.
“Rugby takes the best from both of those sports,” said Hayden Dorsett, Harding’s rugby team coach, captain and team manager. “It’s continuous action in the game, so you get to see people make big runs and people make good hits like tackling in football.”
The Harding University rugby team has been hard at work preparing for the fall season, and according to Dorsett, they are already seeing the benefits of hard work in their first games.
“We had a very strong showing,” Dorsett said. “Our starters came on really strong and played really well.”
Senior team member Wade O’Dear also said he thought the rugby team was doing well.
“We have a great batch of new guys that are starting to get the hang of things and really play well together as a team,” O’Dear said. “As the season continues we will continue to build on our strengths and win some games.”
A Memphis team defeated the rugby team last Saturday on their home turf behind the baseball field, which was the first home game of the season. If you missed it, that was not your only chance to catch the team in Searcy. Their next match is set for October 13th against rival Freed-Hardeman.
“We always draw a big crowd when we play Freed,” Dorsett said. “When we get a big crowd it’s just awesome to have people cheering for us.”
For the fifth year player Dorsett however, it is not just about the crowds, big hits and victories; it is about the fellowship and relationships they share with one another.
“Really it’s all the guys, the team,” Dorsett said. “That’s the reason why I’ve been a part of this team for so long and do so much is because I like to be a part of this team. I love the sport of rugby too, but the people here have just made me love it even more.”
The team is a very open group that has weekly practices and events. They accept anyone who would like to play regardless of prior rugby experience, and they are willing to teach anyone interested in rugby how to play the game.
If you would like to know more about the rugby team, visit the official Harding University Rugby Team Facebook page, complete with contact information and a full fall schedule.
