Ruck. Scrum. Drop goal.
These words mystified current Northwestern men’s rugby captain Matt Weil four years ago, just as they do to most newcomers to the Wildcats men’s club rugby team. In his first week with the team, Weil figured his lack of familiarity with the sport would keep him off the field — until an injury to a key starter forced the then-freshman into his first match.
“I dove for the ball and led with my head like I did in high school football,” Weil recalled. “The next thing I knew my nose was gushing blood. It was a good first experience.”
Like Weil, the majority of this year’s team had never considered playing rugby before college. Despite the inexperience, the club still sits at .500 on the season after a 15-0 blanking of Loyola and last weekend’s 29-12 loss to Illinois-Chicago.
Weil called the Wildcats the second-best team in the Chicago area behind Illinois-Chicago and attributed the team’s success to the diversity of his teammates, many of whom are new. With about 40 members, NU’s rugby team has reached its largest membership in four years, and students continue to join.
“People come in thinking you have to be a certain size to play rugby,” said Weil. “Really that’s not the case at all.”
Running the show: Lately, running club president Mike Wong and many of his fellow distance runners have been taking it easy.
“Right now I’m keeping my mileage low,” said Wong, a junior. “Somewhere between 20 and 40 miles a week.”
With the Chicago Marathon commencing Sunday morning, Wong and five other club members hope to set personal records on the 26.2-mile course.
Although the club rarely competes as a team, there’s nothing like a 20-mile training run to boost camaraderie. Not everyone in the club plans on competing in the marathon. Participants come to the club with various fitness levels, from beginners who want to get in shape to those such as Wong who ran track and cross country in high school.
Since NU remains the only school in the Big Ten without a men’s track or cross country team, the club gives serious runners a chance to train in an organized environment. Wong said all are welcome to train with the club and anyone interested in joining need only come to Henry Crown Sports Pavilion and Aquatic Center at 4 P.M. ready to run.
“We don’t really respect you unless you run outside all winter,” Wong said. “That’s pretty much the only requirement we have.”
Wong, who ran the marathon for the first time last year, encouraged students to see part of Sunday’s race if possible. The official start time is 8 A.M., and spectators can see the race by taking the red line to downtown Chicago.
