The ASU Men's Rugby Club has been looking for revenge against the Phoenix Men's Club ever since they were narrowly defeated in the closing seconds of their last meeting. On Oct. 15, they will have their chance.
"It was such a close game last year, but we're 2-0 this year in the regular season, so we feel pretty good going in," sophomore wing and center Max Mahoney said. "It's pretty good motivation to beat them, and we should win since they are older guys."
The team has surged out of the gates with a 22-0 victory over NAU and a 22-10 defeat of the Scottsdale Men's Club.
This game will be the first regular season contest the team has played since Sept. 17 against Scottsdale.
"We lost rather disappointedly last year in the last seconds of the game, so this year we're looking for revenge, and hopefully, we can pull that off," coach Gary Lane said.
Lane first starting playing rugby in 1974 and has been involved with the sport ever since. He played for ASU from 1987 to 1992, becoming the club's president in 1990 and a team captain in 1991 and 1992.
After playing for clubs in Tempe and California, Lane became the head coach for the ASU Women's Rugby Club from 1997 to 1999. He accumulated a 35-5 record with the team, leading them to the sweet sixteen in his final year.
He briefly became a referee for USA Rugby before returning to his alma mater to coach the ASU Men's Rugby Club.
Lane believes the sport of rugby is gaining respect and recognition in the region but feels that ASU could be more involved with the program.
"The sport of rugby as a whole is being taken a little more seriously," he said. "A lot of the Southern California schools are embracing rugby as a proper sport rather than a secondary sport, and they are starting to give money, allowing them to have better facilities and better things to offer the rugby athlete."
Lane acknowledged that the Student Recreation Complex has been supportive of the club, but fears that without more financial help from the school, the team may fall behind.
"The Student Recreation Complex people are great, but they're limited; they have limited budget, and they do as much as they can do with the money they have," he said. "Schools who embrace the sport -- like UCLA, Stanford, and Berkeley -- will become much stronger, and schools that don't embrace it will just end up with very mediocre programs."
The ASU Men's Rugby Club has been in existence since 1975 and is currently part of the Southern California Collegiate Conference. ASU plays in the men's collegiate division one, featuring nine teams, including UCLA and UA.
The rugby rankings system works similarly to the BCS system used in football. Each division winner is invited to the sweet sixteen tournament to vie for the championship.
The Sun Devils have struggled the past few years, finishing last in the division in 2004 and seventh in 2005.
"We didn't do very well last year," Lane said. "But each year, we're progressively doing better. Every year we're taking a step forward."
Rugby gained the interest of some players with the possibilities it presents.
"I love the fluidity of the sport," Mahoney said. "It flows pretty good, as opposed to football where it is go and stop. In rugby, you're constantly having to think on your feet."
In rugby, the ball can be carried, passed, kicked or grounded, leaving players with few restrictions on the field of play. The game only stops when the ball goes out of bounds, and substitutions are allowed only in the case of injury.
There are no specific offensive or defensive players, making everyone a potential scorer.
"I played a year of football," junior wing Chris Burns said. "Only three to four guys are involved in every play, but in rugby, every one of the 15 players can score at any time. It is much more of a team sport, and there has to be much more coordination."
Burns returned to school this year for his second bachelor's degree and had no problem choosing where he would play rugby.
"I could either play on a mediocre men's club team or join a serious college program," he said. "When I saw the motivation and dedication that these guys bring to the field, it was an easy choice to make."
The team will take that motivation and dedication to the field this Saturday against the Phoenix Men's Club, as it looks to remain undefeated this season.
Reach the reporter at steven.bohner@asu.edu.
