Club earns academic honors

The IU Men’s Rugby Club begins its season with a new honor. Four of the 15 starters were named Academic All-Americans by USA Rugby.

This is the first time scholastic ability has been taken into account.

“We are developing student athletes and cultivating relationships with other rugby players,” said Evan Kaufman, senior and the club’s president.

Kaufman is one of the four Academic All-Americans on the Mudsharks.

The other three, all seniors, are Ian Blair, Sam Dunton and Jay Hirsh. The IU Men’s Club Rugby team has the second-highest amount of Academic All-American players in the nation after Dartmouth’s five.

“I was pretty excited about it,” Blair said. “I was really glad to hear how highly we were
represented.”

To qualify, a player must have a 3.70 or higher cumulative GPA, while also being one of the starting 15 players. Currently, juniors and seniors are able to receive this award.
The team started practice Aug. 23, but students can still come out and practice with the team.

“This is my fifth year (playing rugby), but just in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve learned way more than in high school,” freshman Luke Cathcart said. “It’s like having half a team of coaches because it’s half a team of seniors.”

Cathcart is a B-squad player and a substitute for the starter 15.

The rugby team holds a record of 3-2 for the 2011 fall season.

“At this point, it’s about our legacy,” Kaufman said.

The rugby team will face Davenport at noon Oct. 15. Davenport has a season record of 3-0.

The Mudsharks are also the defending Division I champions from last year.

“I expect us to be in the national playoffs and serious competition for the national championship,” Kaufman said. “Anything less would be a failure.”