Rugby team starts season against Purdue

Scores of new club rugby players, some with experience and some without, hope to start their season with a victory against rival Purdue. \nThe Mudsharks begin the season against Purdue at 1 p.m., Sept. 9 in West Lafayette, Ind. \nOffsetting the loss of veteran players Mike Kaufmann, Matt Michael and Mike Little is a strong rookie class. \n"This is the best recruiting class we've had in five years," senior Ryan Nystrom said. \nAlthough he won't be playing this season because of his eligibility status, Nystrom said he will still attend practices and support the team. \nBecause of the large class of rookies, Nystrom said it will be easier to run more effective practices and scrimmages. "We have 30 to 40 players who can run in a scrimmage," he said. "It makes a huge difference."\nNystrom mentioned the California Bears, who have the luxury of using multiple players in practice. The Bears, who have varsity status, winning the last 10 national titles, are afforded the opportunity to use the University of California's Athletic Department's budget. \nBecause the Mudsharks are a club team, they use their own resources.\nFreshman forward John Bryant, who is one of the Mudshark's standout rookies, was a high school All-American last year and was named All-State three years in his career at Bloomington South High School. \n"I like the competitive program and the higher level of rugby," Bryant said of his transition to collegiate rugby. \nBryant added that he is pleased to be with the Mudsharks, who are coached by Sopa Enari. "I love it," he said. "I don't really know how to describe it, but I do like it." \nCurrently ranked fifth in the nation, Enari said he wants to orient his players to one of the game's new rules and place rookies into positions. \n"Right now there is a mixture of rookies who want to play," Enari said, "I have to assess the skills of the rookies and determine who can play at this level." \nThe Mudsharks, who consistently qualify for postseason play, expect to be playing after the 2000 season. The Mudsharks lost by one-point to Army in the Sweet Sixteen tournament last season.