The NMU rugby team opened up its 2010 season with the Old Boy’s Tournament, where the NMU Moosemen earned two victories to take the day.
The first match against University of Minnesota-Duluth saw an uneventful first half as both teams went scoreless. However, the Moosemen offense came through with three tries in the second half, for a final score of 15-0.
Matt Kehrer, president of the rugby club, said the A-squad just needed to work out the kinks to get going.
“First half was pretty choppy, everyone’s trying to get a hand on who’s playing who,” Kehrer said. “We had a couple new players starting on our side. Second half we really came around.
The Moosemen were tied 5-5 at the halfway point against the Michigan Tech Huskies, but once again the second half saw most of the action with the Moosemen ending up victorious, 24-13.
Kehrer said the match had a lot of new players who had never been involved in rugby before joining at NMU, and there were also a few old boys, or graduated players, playing as well.
Charlie Fischer said he expects the team to become one solid unit once they all get the game down.
“I’d like to see more direction in the pack. That will come as we progress as a team and as we start to practice more,” he said
Fischer plays the position of hooker, which is considered one of the more dangerous positions in rugby because of his placement in the scrum.
“The hooker rakes the ball back in the scrum and also throws in the ball during a lineout,” Fischer said.
Fischer’s scrum position places him in the middle of the first row where he must help lead the push against the opponents to get the ball.
Kehrer said the team had an unusually large freshman class join this year, which is only good for the Moosemen.
“Last year we had one new guy, this year we have about 12,” he said.
Fischer said the large groups of newcomers like these are what help keep the rugby club, the longest running sports club at NMU, running strong into its 31st year.
“It’s nice having a lot of new guys who are bright-eyed and excited about the sport, and that’s what you look for in rugby — it’s a community sport,” Fischer said.
The team is looking to improve upon its 2009 record of 4-3, where Kehrer said the team only lost one regular season game but was defeated in the playoffs.
“We expect to go undefeated and go far in the playoffs,” Kehrer said. “We have a good group of guys and a lot of new guys who are willing to learn.”
The Moosemen will host the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 12 p.m., on the intramural fields at the corner of Wright and Lincoln.
