The Oregon men’s rugby team lost to Washington State University at home Saturday, a loss that leaves the team struggling to win before they head into the last game before winter break.
“I’m a little frustrated about the season so far,” said team coordinator David Hoffenberg. His frustration stems from the fact that he and 11 other players are injured. With such a large number of players unavailable to contribute, it has been difficult for the team to perform up to their potential.
However, Hoffenberg knows they have the ability to overcome their early mistakes. “We’re having problems that shouldn’t be a problem. All our problems right now are very fixable,” he said.
Freshman Bobby Mulvaney agrees. “We need to work on playing together as a team,” he said. “We need to find our niche.”
The team’s roster underwent a big change before this season began. With the addition of many new players, the team is still trying to “get everything to click,” Hoffenberg said.
Despite a slow start, Hoffenberg is optimistic about the rest of the season. “It’s not abnormal to have a bad start but end well,” he explained. With time, he expects the team to work better together during games and avoid the small mistakes that cost them this weekend. The team has been productive and successful in practice; now, they must translate that to cohesiveness in games.
The key to the team’s success in games is having confidence in its ability to win. “We need to go into every game with an open mind that we’re just as good, if not better, than any team we play,” Mulvaney said. With the team constantly improving, both Hoffenberg and Mulvaney think the playoffs could be a possibility. Hoffenberg noted that, barring injuries over the next month and a half, the whole team would be healthy by January and ready to fight for a playoff spot over the second part of the season. Frustration on the field has not broken the bond that players share in everyday life. The Ducks might not be clicking as well as they’d like during games, but they have still developed camaraderie and friendships.
“Everybody’s getting along,” Hoffenberg said, noting that the camaraderie among players has been his favorite part of the season. Mulvaney has been especially grateful for his new friends, as they have helped him adjust to college academic and athletic life.
The team plays at Oregon State on Saturday, and won’t play again until the Pac-10 Tournament, taking place January 18-19 at UCLA. Practice will continue until winter break, but during the break all players will be expected to continue running and lifting weights so they are prepared for practice when school resumes.
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