A new season has started and the Harding University rugby team said it has high expectations to make it to conference championships. The team lost its first game of the season to the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Feb. 11 with a final score of 11-19. The next day, the team had a victory over the University of North Alabama, finishing 29-24.
After their game against UAB, the rugby players held a team meeting to regroup and refocus.
“The big difference was we were much more disciplined,” junior Bailey Gammill said. “We went into it with a better attitude and we were much more spiritually based that day.”
Harding came back strong the next day against UNA. The attitudes of the players and the communication between them improved from the previous day, according to Gammill.
Going to conference championships is only part of the goal for this season, Gammill said. The team went last year but was defeated.
“Our goal is to win the rest of our matches and be as Christ-like as we possibly can on and off the field,” Gammill said.
The team is focused on God and being an example to the other teams they play. The players have devotionals together every Friday night and are starting service projects with a nursing home.
The Harding rugby team is unique in that its coach is also a player and a student. The players are led by senior Robbie Cribb, who has experience playing rugby in the Cayman Islands. Cribb makes certain that the team stands out from others with the players faith in God and with their brotherhood.
“The rugby culture is not one to be proud of but our focus is God,” Cribb said. “We have devotionals every Friday night and prayer before and after games. When we were on the road last weekend, we had church services by ourselves. You’re not going to get that anywhere else.”
The next home game is March 17 against University of Tennessee at Martin. If the team wins, they will go to conference championships.
