Coming off several tough defeats, the Oregon men’s rugby team is looking toward next season with the goal of setting a new standard for the club at the Division I level.
The team has been the victim of a tough schedule en route to its 0-6-1 record, suffering a defeat to No. 1 California and a close loss to No. 15 Arizona 12-7.
Oregon has struggled to win consistently since it made the leap from Division II collegiate competition in 2002. Despite not being a sanctioned sport by the NCAA, competition at the
Division I level of collegiate rugby is intense, featuring varsity teams from schools around the nation as well as club programs like the team here at Oregon.
“It’s been a rough transition for our team,” senior David Hoffenberg said. “But we have 30 guys who are committed to this team, committed to working and committed to getting better. It’s not easy to do that for a team that’s not winning, but I respect our young guys for
continuing to push.”
Club rugby has been at Oregon since 1964, but the game hasn’t been as popular as some would think. In a 2007 Time article, statistics showed just as many people watched the 2007 Rugby World Cups as the Summer Olympics, and the sport is being added to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In addition, our country’s own beloved American football wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for rugby’s invention in England in the early 19th century.
“Rugby and football feature very similar skill sets,” Hoffenberg said. “A few years ago, we had a third string wide receiver from the football join the club and he immediately excelled. The games both involve the same central components: running to advance the ball as well as hitting, passing and kicking.”
Despite rugby’s continued popularity worldwide, Hoffenberg laments the fact many potentially great rugby athletes spurn the sport for more mainstream interests.
“I didn’t pick up the game until college, but I fell in love with it,” he said. “There are so many guys and girls out there who have what it takes to contribute to our teams, but they just never get the opportunity to try.”
Sophomore Brian Maxson, who played high school rugby in Orinda, Calif., grew up in the heart of the Northern California rugby culture. After his team finished in the top three in the nation his junior year he had the opportunity to play for top collegiate teams around the nation, but chose to come to Oregon to help establish the program.
“It’s been a disappointing season considering my goal was to come here and pick up the level of play, but I think we’ve become a better team,” Maxson said. “This season has been a struggle, but I think we’ve begun to establish what it takes to succeed here.”
The team competes in Pacific Northwest Rugby Football Union, which features schools such as Oregon State, Washington and Central Washington.
While the team is in the midst of its second straight disappointing campaign, Hoffenberg also sees reason for optimism.
“Our games have been a lot closer,” he said. “We’re just a year away from taking that step to the next level.”
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