COLUMN: Rugby team a ‘melting pot’ at Utah
The high school rugby team I played for in Englewood, Colo., had a T-shirt made that said ‘our drinking team has a rugby problem’. In high school, I joined the rugby team because it was the only place I could take my fake front tooth out and look tough instead of looking stupid. Others joined as a means of supporting their alcoholic tendencies. My team was similar to Chris Farley and his group of friends in the movie Tommy Boy when Farley makes a toast to ‘the best bunch of rugby freaks on campus’ that maybe ‘spent a little too much time puking off balconies.’ We had an obnoxious team, but it was fun.
After spending a couple of years in Australia, home of the current world champions in rugby, I looked forward to joining the Utah State team when I came to school here in January of 2000.
Coming to Logan, I expected a somewhat different kind of team than the ‘drinking team with a rugby problem’ that I had played for in Colorado. I expected a team full of returned, “Mormon” missionaries listening to the Tabernacle Choir instead of Metallica to pump them up for a game. I thought instead of heading to the nearest bar to celebrate a win, the Utah State team would head to McDonald’s. If it had been a particularly big win, and they were feeling especially rebellious, they might order a round of Cokes and be giddy all afternoon from the caffeine high. I thought that ‘shoot’, ‘shucks’ and ‘darnit’ would replace the four letter words I was accustomed to hearing on the rugby field.
I was wrong. Half wrong at least. My first sign these expectations were a little off came when I saw a patch on the jerseys advertising the White Owl, the only bar in Logan.
So, I practiced with the team, and a lot of it reminded me of my first rugby experience: Guys mooning each other, guys clapping and whistling at anyone who walked by with long hair and a heartbeat, guys who did more damage to their bodies at the post-game party than they did during an entire game of tackling and hitting.
However, this team was different, too. The coach was a seminary teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the day. Some of the players would have to leave early to be with their wife and kids.
I thought then, and still believe now, that there is no group at Utah State University more diverse than the rugby team. On a walk to campus, you walk by the fraternities and see people that usually spend their Sunday sleeping and recovering from their Friday and Saturday. If you walk further, you walk by the Logan LDS Institute where people go to bed early on Saturday night so they can be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for church on Sunday morning. It seems like there are two completely different cultures. What I love about rugby is walking by the rugby field and seeing guys from both worlds. Rugby is to USU what America is to the world. It’s the great melting pot! Admittedly, I am getting a little carried away here, but it makes for a fun group.
I think the only prerequisite to be on the rugby team is that you enjoy hurting other people and you don’t mind being hurt yourself.
So, you can listen to whatever you want before the game, pray to whomever you want during the game and party wherever you want after the game. The rugby team welcomes you with open arms whether you get crazy by drinking Coke or Coors, whether you like churchin’ or chuggin’, Mary Poppins or The Matrix, Bambi or Basic Instinct. Just make sure to bring your cleats and your medical insurance.
Clark Jessop is a sophomore majoring in broadcast
journalims. He can be
contacted at clarkjessop@cc.usu.edu.