[natural sound: rugby ball kicking]
Northwestern Men’s Rugby holds the title as the oldest club sport at the University. Founded in 1972, the team and its members have had its ups and downs, most recently COVID-19, when the club was close to being shut down. But this year, Men’s Rugby has experienced a revitalizing season, going to nationals last week, placing third and becoming the number 12 team in the nation.
On the last day of practice this year, several members of the team reflected on the triumphant season and where they see themselves going in the future.
Jabali Zoia, a sophomore in SESP, attributes the success of the 2023-24 season to an array of changes made during the year.
JABALI ZOIA: We got new coaches, you know, we shaped, up we started recruiting like some great guys, you know for the team We switched up some of our play styles and It’s really shown on the, on the playing field.
[natural sound: audio from practice]
Olatunji Osho-Williams, a Junior in Medill, is also a returning player. While he wasn’t on the team during the COVID pandemic, he notices the radical changes that occurred in the past few years
OLATUNJI OSHO WILLIAMS: The club during COVID was almost died like we wouldn’t have had a club today for wearing it for those seniors that stuck around. Going from that to I would say last year to now where we competed in NCR D2 national championships. It’s been incredible. I didn’t expect that to happen.
James Hebson, the head coach of the team for several years, is also a Northwestern alumni who played on the team in the 80s. Over the decades, Hebson has seen the culmination of events leading up to where the team is now.
JAMES HEBSON: Obviously we’ve reached the pinnacle here with getting to nationals, but, um, you know, we’ve had some real down years. We’ve been kicked off campus a couple times. Covid really laid us low. Um. we did have, we had some successes back when I played in the 80s. It’s kind of remarkable that we’ve lasted 52 years.
New players, such as Weinberg freshman Sam McLain, offer a different perspective on the team’s season. As someone with no prior rugby experience, McLain is astonished by the progress that’s been made in such a short time.
SAM MCLAIN: To go from a team that doesn’t even do cuts to make it to nationals, um, is pretty astounding. Our program was pretty much almost gone just a couple years ago, and suddenly to turn it around and head to nationals, um, it was really great to be a part of that, that journey.
Oluwatooni Adisa, a freshman in McCormick, offers similar sentiments. As another person whose first experiences with rugby were on the team, he’s impressed by the growth they’ve made.
OLUWATOONI ADISA: If you watch us play, our technical ability and understanding of the game, it’s grown tenfold since the start of the year.
Linus Bray, a freshman in Weinberg, is also one of the co-captains. With three years ahead of him, he says that this year’s season is only the beginning.
LINUS BRAY: We’ve just come back from DC. And I would say the thing we realized was, if we all buy into it, we can be really, really good. There’s no reason that in the next few years, we can’t win nationals. We’re kind of at the peak of our powers.
While some players have joined without prior rugby experience, many of them have played other sports in the past, some even citing the similarities to soccer as reasons for why they enjoy the sport. Because of the potential of the sophomore and freshman heavy-team, Hebson agrees with Bray’s argument that they can go even further.
HEBSON: We can have like a two year ramp up window with the goal of winning nationals, maybe even three with some of the freshmen.
After returning from nationals, Osho-Williams believes that the team has the motivation needed to become even better.
OSHO-WILLIAMS: Going to nationals and seeing a different level of competition, competing with teams that were consistently playing with D1 teams, Premier teams, and then just being around that, I think, for me, personally, it’s made me want to get really, really good.
Nationals hasn’t just made the team more confident and competitive, it’s also made them closer. The close contact of the sport and the reliance on others forms trust on and off the field.
BRAY: As we’ve been playing and playing, we’ve gotten closer as guys, it’s kind of a tough thing to do to go and put your body on the line for 80 minutes.
MCLAIN: There’s a lot of that like brotherhood bond. Um, just because it’s a game where you’re so reliant on each other. I mean, I guess that’s kind of a lot of sports, but this one, you’re putting your body on the line for the other players on the field.
OSHO-WILLIAMS: It’s a whole different sense of social interaction. Because literally in rugby, like, I’m being grabbed by my butt and lifted into the air. I’m like tackling these people. I’m getting tackled by them. There’s a level of comfort, comfortability.
To Hebson, the sense of community goes past the current team roster. The team has a strong alumni network, and the sport connects people globally.
HEBSON: When a player starts, I always tell the guys, you’ve just joined an international fraternity.
[natural sound: rugby practice audio]
For WNUR News, I’m Ella Smith
