UNCW men’s rugby set to compete at Nationals
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — A long and dominant season has resulted in the UNCW men in earning a spot at Nationals for rugby 15’s.
The Seahawks will face Vermont on Friday in the semifinals in Houston. That game will start at 6 p.m. Central Time.
Around half the players on the team did not play rugby prior to stepping on campus, but head coach Jim Wiseman says the sport has managed to bring them all together.
“As a club sport, it’s just fun to see these guys put the effort to it that they put to it and work as hard as they do,” Wiseman said. “I’ve got three of my own kids that are actually on this team now. For me, it’s a great time to spend with my kids, but also giving these kids an outlet. With UNCW not having football, gives a lot of kids an outlet for a contact sport that they really want.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
UNCW is no stranger to success. The program claimed the rugby 7’s championship earlier this year.
As for the rugby 15’s season, this is the farthest the program has ever advanced. They are undefeated and have won games by more than 100 points.
The road this far may have been easy at times, but the team is ready for their biggest challenge yet.
“We love that we’ve been playing these teams and playing the way we have against them, putting up these high scores,” junior Adam Caple said. “It gives us some confidence, but we know playing all these other great teams on a bigger stage will be some good competition and it won’t be as easy as some of the games we’ve had this year.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
All that stands in their way of a title game berth is a battle with the Catamounts, who the Seahawks are familiar with and feel they can go toe-to-toe with.
“They move the ball really well and they are a very smart team across the board,” senior Crispin Flemings said. “They’re going to be definitely the biggest challenge of the year for us. Our IQ is high and we have a lot of chemistry in the back line. We work really well together. Attacking is going to be our main strength against Vermont.”
As the team is not part of a sanctioned sports, they have relied heavily on donations to fund their trip to Texas.
Click here to learn more on how to contribute to their efforts.
