UH’s Rugby team is anticipating its next season after completing an undefeated season in its inaugural year of collegiate play. | Courtesy UH Rugby
The UH rugby team, in the midst of its first regular season as an actual team, made the playoffs with an undefeated record.
Before they were an official collegiate team, they were a men’s club that would play other clubs from throughout Texas. Now, the team plays other colleges, which makes it a completely different game.
Future team captain Troy Miles, an engineering freshman and former US Marine, has specific plans for next year’s team.
“I have some ideas and things that I want to do with training, like work out programs and getting team leadership and accountability done for the team,” Miles said.
When asked about the new team captain, short-side flanker Clinton Eddy, a general studies sophomore, said, “I think he’s going to be a great leader for the team. He was a Marine.”
This initial season has given the UH rugby team an air of legitimacy in the sport, and the team is expected to reach Division 1 by the start of next season.
The team started as a Division 3 team, but due to new USA Rugby regulations they have been invited to play in Southwest Division 1.
Despite being eliminated early in the playoffs, they still remain undefeated at 4-0, having played University of Texas-San Antonio, Sul Ross, Texas State and St. Mary’s universities.
“Rugby is an all-year-round kind of thing,” Eddy said. “There are also games in the summer that don’t last as long as regular games — they’re usually for the faster players.”
Miles and the team are eagerly looking forward to next season.
“I’m confident in what we can accomplish. We have such great coaches that have come to us from USA Rugby,” Miles said. “We need to just take the word from them and our other staff, as well as train like we did this season and just build on it. I’m excited to see what we can build the team into, then win some games.”
For more information on the team, visit www.uh.edu/rfc/public_html.
