Rugby club improves on, off field

Ever notice a bunch of guys in short shorts running around, pushing each other and tossing a ball around in the Assisi Courtyard? Chances are the answer is yes. That is Viterbo's men's rugby team.       

Men's rugby has been at Viterbo for five years now. The rugby club was started by Andrew Fouch along with Mitch Romens, and Travis Bassett in 2005. Now Carson Perry, a senior technology education major from Melrose, Wis., is running the men's rugby club as acting president.

Perry got involved in rugby as a freshman in 2006. The campus minister at the time, Chris McClead, suggested Perry get involved with the team. From 2007 to 2009, Perry served as match secretary while playing with the team. He underwent shoulder surgery in the spring of 2009 which prevented him from returning to the team as a player this fall.

"I wanted to stay involved with rugby because I had so many great experiences with playing," Perry told Lumen.

The president of the men's rugby club, Phil Francksen, decided to step down in 2009 and focus on playing. After discussing Francksen's resignation with the coaches, Perry found his opportunity to stay with the men's rugby club. Perry was elected president in December 2009.

"The best moment I've experienced while with the team was when we won our pool in Minnesota Division Three and went to the Minnesota Final Four this past fall. We took second and are going to Chicago for the Midwest Regional's on April 17," Perry said.

Viterbo's rugby club is a part of the Minnesota Union where there are three divisions. Viterbo's team is a part of the third division. Within each division there are four pools, and the winner of each pool goes to the Final Four. The top two teams from the Final Four then go to the Midwest Regionals.

Rugby has two seasons, one in the fall and one in the spring. The fall season consists of league play in the Minnesota Union. The spring season is mostly friendly matches and tournaments. Perry said that the spring season is just more for a reason to play.

The game is not the only thing that draws Perry into the allure of the club. He also enjoys the friendships and memories that are created in the times being involved with the rugby club.

"The socials are the highlight after the game," Perry said. "Both teams get together, eat food, sing rugby songs and have a good time. You may have wanted to inflict bodily harm on an individual on the field but at the social you may end up talking to the same person and forget about the match."

Since rugby is a club sport, Perry said anyone is welcome to come and play. Club sports are run by students but assisted by Recreational Sports with funding, advertising, and recruiting.

"I'm just here to coach, these guys do all the work to put this team together," Ted Skemp said. Skemp is in middle of his third year coaching the men's rugby team at Viterbo. He has been involved in rugby for 27 years, both playing and coaching.