AMU Rugby Squad Off to Winning Start
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Published on Friday, 20 February 2009 00:41
Matthew Castricum and five of his schoolmates from St. Gregory's Academy in Scranton, PA, were missing something when they came to AMU -- their school rugby team. So, the six formed the nucleus of an AMU team that now has about 25 players.
Starting with some scrimmages last year, the guys got serious last semester and started enlisting other players and practicing regularly. And they got Steve MacDonald (pictured at right at a team practice), who graduated from AMU last year, to coach the team.
The team practices almost every day, MacDonald says, and it paid off. They won their first-ever game last weekend, beating Lynn College in a contest played in Boca Raton. This weekend, they're at home taking on Florida Atlantic University at 2 p.m. on the university soccer field. Matt said he hopes town residents will join students in attending the game.
Aside from the core players from St. Gregory's, MacDonald says almost everyone else on the team had never played rugby before, although most played either soccer or football. "But they're really smart and athletic," he said, "and they picked it up quickly."
Rugby is a club sport at AMU and will remain so, MacDonald said, because there is no inter-collegiate association for the game. But many schools play and AMU has a major test coming up in a few weeks against the University of Miami here at home.
