The Rugby House is called by several names: “The Fishmarket,” the “23rd House,” and a few refer to it as “The Thunderdome.”
“I feel like it is mainly called the Rugby House,” Daniel Minarich said.
That’s probably the name that fits best. The house is covered in rugby memorabilia and is the unofficial clubhouse for Oregon men’s rugby. Six members of the club team call the place home: Travis Cutler, Minarich, Connor Crossley, Steven Hutchison, Alex de Urioste and Antonio Barrera.
Barrera, Hutchison and de Urioste wanted to live together, but were late to jump into the housing search. They settled for a six-person house, which prompted them to invite the other three to join them.
“It is kind of strange because everyone in this house is pretty different,” Cutler said. “We just have personalities that click together.”
Cutler’s pet rat Science and Minarich’s black German Shepherd Bruce, who is the official club rugby mascot, both live with the guys.
“Bruce is the man; he is at all of our games,” said freshman Noah Justin. “He will come out there and support us all the time.”
Justin isn’t the only player who spends a lot of time at the house — many freshmen on the team see it as a sanctuary away from the dorms.
“Lots of times we will come home from the gym or from class and there will be like five guys in our place and none of our roommates will be there,” Minarich said. “It is pretty much a given that they are always welcome.”
They eat, do homework, play videogames and watch rugby while in the house. Once a week, the guys will host a film session where the team watches footage from the latest game. For the most part, the house serves as a place to relax and bond.
“We like to build forts in here when people sleep over,” Brady Harrington said.
“One of the best stories was when (Connor) was woken up by kids playing ‘Lava Monster’,” Hutchison said. “The next day we went over to the playground and started playing ‘Lava Monster,’ too. That was an obsession that lasted a couple of days.”
The Rugby House has served as a great way to bridge the gap between upper and lower classmen this year. All the housemates agree that team chemistry has never been better for Oregon club rugby.
“A few of the freshman are actually getting a house right around the corner ,too,” Cutler said. “I am sure they will try to swoop this one after we move out.”
Follow Chris Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur