Craving a violent workout? Rugby is coming to Tarleton

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BYU’s William Taylor runs with the ball during the Wasatch Cup rugby match against the University of Utah at BYU in Provo on Saturday, April 7, 2012.

With the success of lacrosse in its first year at Tarleton State University, it should be no surprise that another club sport would make its way to campus. Kenneth Esterhuizen, a missionary and rugby enthusiast from South Africa (where the sport is, according to him, “like football here in America”) has received approval from the Texas Lonestar Rugby Conference and the go-ahead from Robert Nimmo, Director of Recreational Sports, to start both a male and female Club Rugby team at Tarleton.

“Rugby is a global sport and played all over the world,” said Esterhuizen. “It is a sport that focuses on character building, fitness and eating healthy, and bringing/starting rugby at Tarleton would give students that don’t have the opportunity to play football or any other sport a chance to play one. The good thing about rugby is that it is a sport for all shapes and sizes.”

Esterhuizen played rugby while growing up in South Africa.

“Rugby is part of the ‘religion’ in South Africa,” he said. “I played rugby throughout my schooling carrier. I also played some club rugby, but had to retire early from the game.”

In order to form teams, Esterhuizen must find enough students who are interested.

“The kind of student that likes contact sport, that has speed, that is strong, and can kick a ball [would be a good candidate for play],” Esterhuizen said. “A student that is looking for a sport to stay in shape, or maybe the kind of student that is a good sportsman/athlete but never good enough to make the football, basketball team or even the track and field team – rugby is made for them.”

There are two aspects of rugby – a 7-a-side (which is now an Olympic sport) with 7-10 players per team, and a 15-a-side, with 15-22 players.

“There are a lot of universities [with teams]. The rugby conference that I am hoping to enter into with Tarleton has 14 teams that play,” said Esterhuizen. “This conference has two divisions with seven teams in each. And with the seven-a-side being an Olympic sport it makes it more attractive for universities to enter into the game of rugby.”

Esterhuizen said that Nimmo and other Tarleton faculty and staff are “very excited about the prospect of rugby.” He also had a message for students who are interested, but hesitant because they have never played before:

“Come a see and learn about the game,” he advised. “That is the only way – you will never know if you don’t try. We teach the laws of the game, and at the same time you will get fit.”

He also noted that the game has international perks.

“Because rugby is such a global (it is played from Japan-Europa- Canada-USA) sport and has become professional, players can sometime find themselves playing rugby for an overseas club,” Esterhuizen said. “Or when they are working overseas, they will have the knowhow to play the game and to go and watch it.”

Students interested in playing rugby should contact Daron Trussell at [email protected].