According to the World Rugby rulebook, the sport consists of carrying, passing, kicking and grounding a ball in an effort to outscore one’s opponent. Junior David Cheung, who plays the prop position for IU’s club team, described it in simpler terms.
“It’s a hell of a sport,” he said.
Cheung’s sentiments were echoed by his teammate of two years, junior Cam McCarthy.
“It’s 30 men on a field, and it’s just total chaos,” he said. “Controlled chaos.”
This chaos includes the scrum, in which players attempt to drive their opponents away from the ball by scrunching into an interlocking mass and pushing headfirst. Being in close quarters with teammates is nothing new for the Hoosiers, many of whom share a living space.
“I think out of our starting 15, seven live within ten feet of each other, which doesn’t hurt the team chemistry,” club president Tomas Alsenas said. “The team environment, not just on the field but off the field, is a lot better than it has been before.”
However strong the group’s bond may be, it does not preclude any one member from being held to a high standard. Alsenas said this years’ practices are among the most competitive he has seen in his three years with the club.
“We wear little GPS units that track all of our stats, and the numbers don’t lie,” he said. “You can see if someone has had a bad practice, and we will call people out on ‘hey, you need to work harder,’ and that kind of stuff.”
Practices are three times a week, plus two days of film and preparation for games on Saturdays.
McCarthy said the grueling practices are made harder by the fact that, as a club sport, rugby lacks the conveniences of school-funded athletics.
“Because we’re a student-led organization and not a varsity sport, it takes up so much of our time and we don’t get excused for it,” he said.
Nonetheless, McCarthy said this challenge can make playing all the more satisfying.
“The most rewarding thing is when you’re out there on gameday and you’re like, ‘I made all this time, and I worked my ass off not only through school but practice to get here,’” he said.
More often than not, this dedication manifests itself in the win column. Currently ranked 19th in the nation following a victory over No. 20 Ohio State, IU has a history of success.
“Last year was the first time we lost a Big Ten game in four or five years,” Cheung said.
The Hoosiers were crowned conference champions three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017.
“The guys on that team were just incredible,” Alsenas said.
Among the members of the 2017 squad was Jake Hidalgo, who now plays professionally for the Chicago Lions rugby club.
Alsenas said IU’s reputation has allowed it to attract talent from as far as Australia and Japan.
“We get guys from all over the country, all over the world,” he said. “It’s great recruiting for the team.”
Attaining this level of success and national recognition has not come without costs. Though Alsenas said rugby is not violent by nature, he boasts an impressive list of injuries.
“I had full shoulder reconstruction freshman year, and I tore my hamstring in January,” he said. “I’ve broken a lot of bones, and I’ve had a lot of concussions.”
In spite of its physical tolls, rugby continues to be an essential part of Alsenas’ identity, which he said is largely thanks to his teammates.
“The reason I stick around is mostly the guys,” Alsenas said. “These guys are my best friends and I wouldn’t really do anything else.”
