2008 Woodie Awards
Guilford rugby: kicking butt and taking names
Jake Blumgart
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Sports
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"This is the best the (men's) rugby team has done in the four years I've been here, and they'll be even better next year," said senior president and captain Ben Snyder. "We've laid the foundation for what will become an excellent rugby club."
There can be no doubt about it; Guilford's men's rugby team has had a bone-shattering good season. The multitude of fans that show up on Saturdays for the home games have been pleasantly surprised by the team's determination, vigor and high scores.
"I mean it was enjoyable enough before they started having winning seasons," said junior fan Garrett Fitzgerald. "But this is the icing on the cake - the rugby cake."
"We're still not able to compete with every college team," said senior Vice-President Gabe Guindon. "There is a group of colleges that are mediocre and a group that's top flight. We're in the middle. But, we beat UNCG, our cross-town rivals (14 to 5). I'd say it has been a great and bloody culmination to my Guilford rugby career."
While they may not have beaten all comers (the Guilford players lost to Duke), they have at least thoroughly injured themselves in the process. As the season progressed, injuries built up. Guindon broke his nose in a tournament two weekends ago, and other players suffered various wounds and bruises.
"The tournament may have been ill-advised, but as a matter of pride we had to play, and so we played against some big mean dudes," said senior Tyler Cope who could safely be described as a "big mean dude" himself.
"We lost a lot of players in the last couple games," Guindon said. "No serious injuries though; no one broke their neck or anything. So that's good."
A significant influx of sophomore and first-year players has added to the team's success and swelled the ranks of what had been an upperclassmen-heavy club.
"We have a good core group of freshmen, who are not only skilled athletes but really enthusiastic players, too," Snyder said. "Without them, our team wouldn't be as good as it is this year."
There can be no doubt about it; Guilford's men's rugby team has had a bone-shattering good season. The multitude of fans that show up on Saturdays for the home games have been pleasantly surprised by the team's determination, vigor and high scores.
"I mean it was enjoyable enough before they started having winning seasons," said junior fan Garrett Fitzgerald. "But this is the icing on the cake - the rugby cake."
"We're still not able to compete with every college team," said senior Vice-President Gabe Guindon. "There is a group of colleges that are mediocre and a group that's top flight. We're in the middle. But, we beat UNCG, our cross-town rivals (14 to 5). I'd say it has been a great and bloody culmination to my Guilford rugby career."
While they may not have beaten all comers (the Guilford players lost to Duke), they have at least thoroughly injured themselves in the process. As the season progressed, injuries built up. Guindon broke his nose in a tournament two weekends ago, and other players suffered various wounds and bruises.
"The tournament may have been ill-advised, but as a matter of pride we had to play, and so we played against some big mean dudes," said senior Tyler Cope who could safely be described as a "big mean dude" himself.
"We lost a lot of players in the last couple games," Guindon said. "No serious injuries though; no one broke their neck or anything. So that's good."
A significant influx of sophomore and first-year players has added to the team's success and swelled the ranks of what had been an upperclassmen-heavy club.
"We have a good core group of freshmen, who are not only skilled athletes but really enthusiastic players, too," Snyder said. "Without them, our team wouldn't be as good as it is this year."
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