By Michael Rickicki
Contributing Writer
Last Saturday’s rugby match drew a lot of attention on campus.
There was a lot of chatter in the stands about what was going on. Many people don’t know what rugby is or how it is played. Some were also asking why someone would want to play such a seemingly brutal sport. Rugby has been a popular sport among European nations for centuries, and the sport is deeply rooted in St. Bonaventure tradition.
Rugby first came to be in nineteenth century England. The sport originated at Rugby School in Warwickshire, England. The sport was developed as a more aggressive form of soccer. The object of the game was to run with the ball in hand, and to ground the ball on the opposite try, or score, according to britannica.com.
As the sport grew in popularity, The Rugby Union was formed. It was the first organized coalition of multiple teams across England and into other European nations.
As the sport grew, it was decided that a world title match would be hosted in Europe. Once the sport came to the world stage, it began to spread across the world and into America as many clubs were formed in the states, britannica.com said.
The sport came to America in the mid-nineteenth century and gained popularity in the late nineteenth century.
The U.S. Men’s Rugby team won the Olympics in 1920 and 1924. But the sport declined and didn’t see a resurgence until 1960, britannica.com said.
The United States of America Rugby Football Union (now known as USA Rugby) was formed in 1975. Since then, the sport has made its way into high schools, colleges and outside clubs across the country, according to usarugby.org.
The history of rugby at St. Bonaventure can be found on the sbu.edu website.
At St. Bonaventure, rugby became an official club sport in 1975. Since then, the club has experienced large amounts of success. The team won five New York Division 2 championships in the 1990s and 2000s. The team then went on to win three Empire Conference Division 1-AA titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The team also had a Division 1-AA Elite Eight appearance. They now compete in Rugby East of Division 1A College Rugby.
This year has been a slow start for the team, as they are currently 1-3. At the home opener, the Men’s Rugby team faced off against rival University at Buffalo Bulls coming out on top 48-31. With two home games in the books, the questions for many spectators include, “How is this sport played?” and, “Who would want to play such a rough sport?”
Senior and team captain Louis Carpio said he hopes to clear some of the questions.
“Rugby is a full contact game that requires little to no protective gear,” Carpio said. “It is a combination of many different sports and uses strength, speed and strategy to move the ball down the field and score a try (5 points) or penalty kick (3 points).”
Carpio has played for Bonaventure since his sophomore year but has roots in the sport dating back to his high school career. Carpio expressed a deep love for the sport and demonstrated his camaraderie with his teammates.
“For me it’s like going to war with my closest friends.” Carpio said. “We all have each other’s back and are willing to die for each other on the pitch.”
Carpio said he lives with a few of his teammates and that on campus, many of the players live closely with each other.
“We are always looking out for each other and pushing each other to be the best we can be on and off the pitch,” Carpio said.
He said the relationship between the rugby players is like a brotherhood.
“I am really willing to die for my teammates, that’s how much I love this game,” Carpio said.
The Men’s Rugby team faces off against Penn State today at 7 p.m. Their next home game will be on Saturday Oct. 8 versus West Virginia.
rickicms16@bonaventure.edu
