Rugby team starts season with victories, anticipation

The rugby team is on a mission. \nAfter narrowly missing a run at the final four of the national rugby championships last year, the team is working to avenge the loss.\nThe rugby team, a club sport at IU, has been in the nation's Top 10 for the last three years and was the only club team in the top-five last year. Its seniors are working on making a second final four trip.\nJunior Dave Snyder commented on the disappointment from last year's final game and of the hope this year.\n"We missed the final four by one point last year, and we're all just trying to get over that hump," he said.\nRugby has grown from a recreation to a competitive nationally recognized force. With the addition of coach Sarasopa Enari seven years ago, the IU club team has, as senior Trent Hahn said, "really blown up."\nJunior Adam Stockholm said Enari's intense training program is typical of IU's rugby tradition.\n"Our coach gets us totally prepared. That's the way it's always been with IU rugby," Stockholm said.\nSnyder also offered praise of the coach, lauding his support and knowledge of the game.\n"He's definitely the leader of the team," he said. "Sopa is there for all the mental aspects of the game. Nobody would be as good as they are without Sopa. He's taught us a lot of stuff. It's unbelievable how prepared he is (concerning other teams). He's a genius of the game." \nThe rugby team has few home games. Its season opened with a 38-0 victory against Purdue. \nTo make the nationals, the team must win or place second in the Midwest Tournament. This fall, IU will host one of the brackets of the tournament for the first time. Hahn said he is optimistic about the attention rugby will get.\n"We've never hosted any of that, and I think it will attract more fans," he said.\nThe team's status is determined by the fall season. If it wins the Union Tourney, placing first or second in the Midwest Tournament becomes the next prerequisite for the spring trip to nationals, which is everyone's goal.\nSenior co-captain Ryan Nystrom remembers the excitement of the final four at his freshman year trip to nationals.\n"As a freshman, we made it to the final four and that was really exciting," Nystrom said. "That's my main focus, to get back to the final four"