An Unheralded Juggernaut

Springfield's rugby club flies under the radar—but not for its competition.

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“Rugby is pretty much the biggest fraternity in the world,” says P.J. Sheridan, a captain for the Springfield Rugby Football Club. And as a pack of teammates goes stampeding by, legs stained with mud and manly grunting sounds emanating from the scrum, the metaphor makes perfect sense. “I mean, you go to Pakistan, there are going to be rugby guys looking out for you.”

Rugby is a sport, much like soccer, that is mega-popular around the world but considered a niche activity in the United States. It’s so niche, Sheridan says, that most people in Springfield don’t realize that since 1983, they’ve had one of the most successful rugby teams in the USA Rugby Football Union right under their noses. The relative anonymity doesn’t really bother Sheridan, coach Chad Luger, or the rest of the team—though Sheridan says he does feel the squad’s successes (including five consecutive Heart of America Union championships from 1999-2003) have been overlooked locally. “The past decade we’ve had tons and tons of success, but been overshadowed by [ex-Lady Bear] Jackie Stiles,” he says.

Part of the reason for the “niche” status is the perception that rugby is a hooligan’s sport. And while it is rough (a nearly perfect smash-up of the flow of soccer and the contact and scoring of American-style football), it’s not uncivilized. “It’s full-contact chess,” explains Sheridan.

SRFC is not a professional club: None of the players get paid. The team is made up players from as far away as Kansas City, many of them former high school or college football players looking for a physical outlet away from white-collar jobs. Sheridan, for example, is a pharmaceutical representative. And rugby is not only for beefcakes; certain positions cater to small, quick players. “Some of our MVPs are our smallest guys,” he says.

Sponsors and club dues cover most expenses, including land for the team’s home pitch just east of the junction of I-44 and James River Freeway (west siiiiide!). It includes lights for night games and practices, a port-a-potty and practice equipment like blocking sleds.

On game days, Sheridan says, the crowds are sizeable. Fans are asked to bring their own chairs—and watch out for doggie doo: Sheridan says the crowd is almost all dogs on nice days. Admission is free and there are refreshments on sale for the fans. The only trick is actually finding the pitch. (It’s not visible from the highway. See sidebar for directions.) The team is currently raising funds to build a spectator pavilion—a tarp currently serves as a rain cover since only “a tornado or lightning” will cancel a game, according to Sheridan.

So how is the team faring this season? After a one-year promotion to Division I status (the second-highest level nationally) SRFC is back in Division II, with a grip on first place in the Heart of America Union with its 13-1 record. The second half of the 2006-07 season (teams take a three-month hiatus during the winter) began February 28 with a game at Fort Leonard Wood.
Wanna play, tough guy? Sheridan says the club is always open to newcomers, with or without past rugby experience. The practice schedule is posted at springfieldrugby.com if you’re interested in joining the world’s largest fraternity.

U GO:

Springfield Rugby Club
March 3 SRFC vs. Tulsa or March 31 against CMSU
Game time: 2 p.m., free
springfieldrugby.com
usarugby.org

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