The men’s rugby team, a diverse new club sport at Cabrini, launches their first athletic season this 2019-2020 academic year.
Cabrini student Ryan Pfanders, senior majoring in human resource and rugby captain, seeks to create an inclusive experience on campus through rugby. He envisions a team where male students feel comfortable joining, even with no prior knowledge of the game.
“Rugby is a sport for everyone. We are willing to teach it to anyone, any level of experience, and interest,” Pfanders said.
Pfanders started playing rugby in high school almost 10 years ago. His endeavor to build the Cabrini Rugby team began as an effort to bring the campus together.
“The culture I came from was that rugby was a unifying sport and a way to bring people together and this campus didn’t have that,” said Pfanders, referring to racial slurs written on the doors of Cabrini students three years ago. “It was a difficult time and one that created a lot of distrust within the Cabrini community. But this sport really was born out of that and in this case it is meant to bring people together,” said Pfanders.
Rugby is not NCAA sanctioned so it’s unlike anything else in the United States. Instead, rugby is governed by USA Rugby and NSCRO, National Small College Rugby Organization.
Due to this structure, there is more flexibility in regards to oversight. For example, the Cabrini rugby team has the opportunity to have students on their own team from nearby campuses. Cabrini’s academic agreement between Eastern University and Valley Forge Military Academy & College allows for those students to join Cabrini rugby so long as they are in good standing with their university.
Cabrini’s first ever rugby tournament. Photo by Holly Pfanders
“Rugby is the perfect opportunity to still have that student-athlete life, for example, kids in high school that didn’t quite make the cut on a varsity sport team or don’t want that commitment,” Pfanders said “Cabrini rugby is a perfect place for them.”
Cabrini rugby does not require the same kind of commitment or dues that are typical of an NCAA affiliated sport. The team meets twice a week for practices and games are on Sundays. The dues are comparatively low to other sports and just the purchase of cleats and a mouthguard are required to play.
Cabrini rugby embodies community and welcomes all players. On Friday, Sept. 6 at the general interest meeting, new head coach David Codell of Cabrini rugby, and president of Schuylkill River Rugby of Philadelphia, stresses the importance of the team’s inclusiveness to future players.
“If you guys commit to this and want to learn, trust the guys next to you. We are new and we are all doing our best. So if you pick it up easier than another guy and if you’re a more natural athlete than another guy, it doesn’t help anybody if you put somebody down,” Codell said. “Let’s all remember that brotherhood element of it.”
Cabrini rugby will partake in a developmental league playing five or six other teams in the local area this fall, culminating in a round-robin championship tournament.
The Cabrini rugby team, started last year, retained a few players from the previous season and is continuing to recruit new players.
Jimmy Dougherty, senior psychology major, said, “I came back this year because it was fun and everyone was friendly.”
Their prospective first tournament is set for Sept. 28. Contact Ryan Pfanders at rjp344@cabrini.edu for more information about how to join or to learn more.
