The SLU Rugby Club has been active only in playing an annual game with current and former alumni.
Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion's Roar
University alumni returned for the 50th anniversary of the SLU Rugby Club and the annual rugby game played between former and current players.
“We have been doing this for the past three years,” said former SLU rugby player Jason Mapp. “Technically there is not really a team here at Southeastern, but we keep trying. It’s just a matter of the kids at school wanting to play. I started with the team in September of 1997 and finally graduated in December of 2004. I enjoyed my time here.”
Players brought their families, friends and dogs to the celebration of the rugby club that started in 1967. The event was organized by university history professor and Leon Ford Endowed Chair Samuel Hyde.
“The event went outstanding,” said Hyde. “We had a better turnout than we expected. You can see the enthusiasm in everybody here eager to support rugby and Southeastern. We got guys who played in the ‘60s and guys who played just a couple of years ago. It was a very exciting day for us and it’s the start of whole year of rugby celebration.”
The teams were separated randomly, one team being green and the other being gold. The two teams competed in two 20-minute quarters. The game ended in a tie 30-30.
“At first the green team was leading dramatically,” said Hyde. “They had some younger faster players. But in the end, experience paid off we came back and tied it up. In the final minutes the old boys like me were driving to score, but they stopped us as time ran out.”
During the early years of the rugby team they competed in the Hammond Mardi Gras Tournament which at one time was one of the largest rugby tournaments in the world.
“It was held in the ‘70s and 80s with 84 teams and 12 fields,” said former rugby player who played from 1978-1983 Dean Wood. “We had tree stumps on the fields, and it was always cold in February. They had to close some of the fields because there were too much water in them. They had teams from all over the world from England, Ireland and Wales. In the early ‘80s, they quit it for some reason I don’t really remember the reason for it.”
The team actually won back to back the Deep South Rugby Conference Championship in one of its last years before the club folded.
“I started here when it was only about 10 players and we built up to about 25 players,” said former rugby player Mauricio Aguilar. “We won the Deep South championship for two years in a row in 2004 and 2005 and we hope to start that up again.”
Part of the reason for the event is to restore interest in the rugby club and revive the team this year. Aguilar has agreed to coach the team if one can be formed.
“First step is to connect with the students who are attending here at Southeastern,” said Aguilar. “The next step is to connect with some of the alumni and the advisors and from there on it’s just finding a field to practice. I’m willing to coach and a few of the other guys want to put some time in and coach as well. The funding will come after.”
The rugby club plans on setting up tables in the Student Union as well as placing ads in local newspapers to help recruit players for a new team.
“You got to get dedication,” said Cole LeBlanc, a sophomore engineering major. “People to dedicate time and effort into this. That’s really what it’s about putting effort work everyday into what you got to do. That is what we are trying to do here is start.”
The SLU Rugby Club is planning to return to campus and put a team together for next season.
Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion's Roar