cadet blogs

Rugby

(Athletics, Class of 2015) Permanent link All Posts

Stepping on to the pitch for the first time each match generates one of the greatest adrenaline rushes of my life. I walk up to the line with fourteen other players, every arm linked around the neck of the player to the left and right. We anxiously await the kickoff and the opportunity to make the first tackle. Rugby is different from any other sport I have ever played. For those who have never watched a game, it consists of a mix of soccer and football, minus the pads. A full match lasts for eighty minutes, two forty minute halves, and is very physically draining.

Myself along with about eight other 4/c came out to join the team in late August, and since then have developed a much clearer understanding of the game. We practice every day in Stonington, at the Coast Guard Foundation field, about twenty minutes from the Academy. We also have morning practices on Tuesday and Thursday.

This past Saturday, October 9, 2011, we traveled to Maine on a six-hour bus ride to play at the University of Maine at Orno. It was a great game, the weather was moderate, and our A team won the match. Unfortunately, during our B game, our very own 4/c Tramontano dislocated his shoulder making an amazing tackle. After a quick trip to the local ER and great help by the medical staff, he will make a complete recovery and should be back playing rugby in no time.

The rugby team has great camaraderie that is hard to find anywhere else. It is made up of a group of genuine men, who come together to play some amazing rugby. I attribute the cohesiveness of the team to the captains, 1/c Dewechter and 1/c Gonzales as well as the great coaching staff.

More about Alex.

Posted by Leann Strickland at 2/16/2012 3:29 PM