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One Bear Place #97116
Waco, Texas 76798
1-888-710-1859
Phone: (254) 710-1121
Fax: (254) 710-1096 |
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Roughing It
By Claire Moncla
No shoes, no shirt, no service. A better motto for Baylor men's rugby would be no shoes, no shirt, no problem. The men's rugby club doesn't need shoulder padding or protective helmets. Give them a muddy pitch and a rugby ball, and they will play their hearts out.
Rugby, a sort of hybrid of American football and soccer, is one of the largest sports in the world—at least outside of the
 U.S. Although many Americans are unfamiliar with the sport, it's been a very successful club sport at Baylor for years. The Baylor men's rugby team won the university's first team national championship in 2001 by gaining the Division II USA Rugby National Title. And they've continued to be competitive in the years since.
In fact, former Baylor players love the sport so much that they formed a group to help them stay connected—the Baylor Rugby Association. Incorporated in 2003, the association is composed of former teammates, including president Zachary Oliphant '02 and co-vice presidents Brian Dusablon '01 and Kenneth Johnson '01, who also act as secretary and treasurer, respectively. "The association came about as a way to give back to an organization that meant a lot to all of us and our teammates while we were in school," Oliphant said.
The Baylor Rugby Association (BRA) gives back by donating both money and time to the Baylor men's rugby club. The association is run entirely by volunteers and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, meaning that it can accept fully deductible donations and carries the same nonprofit status as Baylor University. As for volunteering, the association members all have very busy work and personal lives, but Oliphant explained that they also value giving back to a sport and a program that brought them both joy and success at Baylor.
"The rugby alumni are a close-knit family," Oliphant said. One way they keep in touch is the Rugby Alumni Festival, held annually at Baylor since 2003. This year, the alumni festival is the weekend of September 4 and will begin Friday with a reunion dinner for alumni, team members, and their families. On Saturday, the alumni will play the current men's team at 10 a.m. on Baylor's rugby pitch at Bagby and University Parks Drive and then finish the afternoon with a barbeque. To conclude the weekend festivities, the association is holding a farewell brunch on Sunday.
Past festivals (like the one pictured above) have been very successful, connecting former players with current players and attracting several hundred supporters. "The alumni festival allows us to continually build a relationship with the team and its coaches so that we can support and assist them," Oliphant said. The festival also fosters future relationships. The BRA encompasses a very diverse group of alumni—such as doctors, lawyers, and business owners—so the alumni festival also provides networking opportunities for graduating rugby athletes, Oliphant said.
But the annual alumni festival is just one way the association prepares members of the Baylor men's rugby club for the future. The BRA also hopes to build its outreach potential in the coming years. "By using good fiscal practices, we have been able to grow a nice fund in just a small time," Oliphant said. "As we continue to grow our finances, it will open up new opportunities for the university to host skills camps for players from around the state or country."
Although the association has garnered the support of several businesses, alumni carry the majority of the financial responsibility. This may seem like a daunting task, but Oliphant admitted that this responsibility also comes with a lot of fun and excitement as alumni, players, and families interact in Baylor's rugby program through the aid of the BRA.
The association is enthusiastic to share its love for rugby and invites the Waco community and Baylor alumni to come out and support the university on September 5 for its student vs. alumni match. For more information, visit: baylorrugby.org/wp/.
If you would like to respond to this story, send an e-mail to Between the Lines Editor.
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