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| Rugby players on Saturday in a tackle before earning a try. Photo by Johnna Guillerman |
Trinity University’s brand new rugby team played their very first game on Saturday in the Rugby 7’s Tournament.
A total of five teams competed, with Trinity placing in 4th, marking a strong start for the team, established just eight months ago.
The team started when a group of friends passed the rugby ball to one another after class. The group got bigger, and they decided to start recruiting others and register with the school.
They started the team with their own funds, with help from the San Antonio Rugby Club. “We bought balls, cones and cleats. It was during that week that we contacted the San Antonio Rugby Club, who agreed to sponsor us and help us get off our feet,” said Calvin Usiri, one of the founding members of the team.
While Trinity’s athletic department has helped with funding a small portion of the expensive process of starting a rugby team, Usiri wishes other sponsor options were available. “It would have been great if SGA were more willing to fund sports teams,” he said.
Gregory Labbé, another team member, agreed that getting the team off the ground was a somewhat difficult process and the school could be doing more to help. “It has been a struggle to even get jerseys and equipment for the boys,” said Labbé.
The difficulties did not stop the team from dedicating themselves to the sport and committing to rigorous training. Every week, they have two practices, one morning conditioning session and one weight lifting session.
“We intend on starting an annual Trinity Rugby 7s tournament. We hope that it’ll be the biggest collegiate rugby tournament in San Antonio,” said Usiri. With such ambitious goals, the team is dedicated to hard work.
The team’s dedication shows in the way they play. Rugby is a rough physical sport, one that involves people being tackled and tripped constantly throughout each game. Each play begins with a huddle, a scramble for the ball, and then a run for the opposition’s goal line. As Cooper Smart, 23, who watched Saturday’s game, said, rugby “seems like a combination of soccer and football.”
Another factor in the team’s strong start is the coach, Timana Tahu, an Australian professional rugby player. The San Antonio Rugby Club matched Tahu with the Trinity team.
He has been playing since 1999, signed contracts with multiple professional teams, and competed in international competitions. His experience and expertise have helped the players improve their skills, as some of them had no experience with rugby before playing at Trinity.
As a lesser-known sport in Texas, rugby is a little confusing for those who watch it for the first time. For example, when a point is scored, it is called “a try.” In order to earn a try, a player must get the ball and touch it to the ground past the goal line. Also, both men and women are allowed to play on the same team; however, Trinity does not have women on its team.
Now that a rugby team is formed at Trinity, Usiri believes the team and the sport will gain more traction. He is confident that they will have a team for next season.
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