Are you looking to try a new sport in a fun, non-competitive environment? Though these words aren’t exactly what first comes to mind when rugby is mentioned, they have been the newly-formed rugby club’s announcement to gain members.

The ragtag bunch of kids that make up the club range from fans who can recite the specifics of the rules and famous players at each position, all the way to those who had no idea that rugby even uses a ball.

For senior Dylan Smith-Van Vickle, the club’s self-appointed Chief Officer of Understanding Rugby, after a trip two summers ago inspired his rugby rugby fandom, joining the club was a no-brainer.

“I went to France and England about a month before they hosted England Rugby World Cup. My first moment in Paris was sharing the Metro with a few hundred rugby supporters, clad in pink, singing songs. The energy was incredible. I then went to England and saw the massive anticipation for the World Cup. The sport just kinda clicked from there,” Smith-Van Vickle said.

Some members, including senior Nicholas Jarvis, never intended to join the rugby club.

“I was tricked,” Jarvis said.

However, despite the presence of a few students like Smith-Van Vickle well-versed in rugby, the majority of the club had no clue about the sport going into the first meeting.

Junior Lea Krejci spent the first meeting surrounded with newcomers to sport.

“We were trying to figure out who actually knew something about rugby,” Krejci said.

After some Wikipedia researching of the rules and strategy of the game, the club held its first scrimmage game at Gay Field on Oct. 2. The two sides called themselves Canada and New Zealand, and each team fervently trash talked the other. The game went well, although Junior Antoine suffered an injury, and Senior Victor Xie lost his jacket.

“Missing: Blue jacket. If found please contact Victor Xie. Last seen at upper Gay. Thanks,” Xie said.

Despite these few setbacks, the sport has grown on the club members, especially senior Ben Schneider.

“I should’ve known I’d love the sport,

I should’ve known I’d love the game.

And now my only dream:

To be blessed with rugby fame,” Schneider said.

Even Xie has looked past his devastating lost jacket. 

“Even though I lost my beloved blue jacket after our first rugby meeting, I still have high hopes for the success of rugby club,” Xie said.