Anyone down for a game of rugby?

Rugby is in its first year of the program here at Simpson and it seems to be doing quite well. The team is already off to a 3-0 start and their schedule is no walk in the park.

While many of these players are trying this sport out for the first time, they have already learned a lot about the game as well as their team.

Senior Taylor Stockdale believes that the team does a lot of things well, but that there is always room for improvement.

“So far we have been pretty aggressive on offense and defense which is good, however it can also put us out of position on defense if we do not tackle well,” Stockdale said. We also need to improve on our communication skills as well as passing the ball more frequently.”

Now that Stockdale’s football career is over he did not want to be done with athletics just yet, so he believed that this would be a perfect opportunity for him.

Another football player who career is over is senior Ben Borland. Borland is having the time of his life and sees the game as a challenge and learning experience.

“Rugby is an amazing game that tests you mentally and physically, but sometimes has the feel of playing backyard ball which makes it fun at the same time,” Borland said.

One of the key points that Borland brought up was how unusual the rules are to grasp.

“The rules were a big shock. It was a completely new sport to me so picking the rules up was the biggest change. It felt like starting as freshmen all over again in a new sport,” Borland said.

While some injuries have taken a toll on the team early on in the season, one which included Borland breaking his nose after taking a head to the face, the team keeps on headed in the right direction and progressing as a group.

The road ahead for the team will not be an easy one though. Their next two opponents consist of Iowa and Nebraska, both prolific Division I schools.

This will be another test that the team is looking forward to, to see how they match up against the cream of the crop. These games will be played on Saturday, April 6.