The University of Wyoming’s club rugby has had quite a fun and successful season.
The Men’s rugby club competes in collegiate elite D1A Rocky Mountain West, the highest division in college rugby.
The team has forty active players. Seven play on the field in the spring, and fifteen play on the field in the fall.
“Growing up my entire life, I played football; that was all I knew. After not accepting offers to play football at the collegiate level, the men’s rugby club gave me the competitive outlet that was lacking in my life,” Sophmore Cam Swartz said.
“Football is a game for gentleman played by hooligans, rugby is a game for hooligans played by a gentleman, so I picked rugby.”
The UW men’s team was established in 1972, and it has continued to thrive on and off the field since then.
The team strives to meet its motto “Tradition, Pride, Poise, and Passion” during every game, practice, and meeting.
The men’s club has several team and individual accomplishments, including competing for a national title 12 times, having 5 USA Eagles, 19 All-Americans, and two players invited to the Olympic training center in San Diego, California.
The men’s team plays two seasons of rugby annually; Fall 15s and Spring 7s.
“My favorite part of Rugby is the family and bond you build with your teammates,” Senior Landin Troutman said.
“I think there is something to be said about the opportunities that this sport can provide here at the university; much of our team is Division II and Division III college football players who wanted to focus on their academics but still wanted the ability to compete in a sport at a high level,” Swartz said.
Thanks to generous donors, such as Sheldon Eike, the club received $55,000 through the university’s annual “Giving Day” event. All donations received by the club were awarded to deserving players as scholarship money to put towards their tuition.
The team welcomes anyone who wants to play as long as they will uphold their values and maintain a high standard of sportsmanship on and off the field.
The team’s last game was on April 13, but they are excited to continue their season in the fall of 2022.
