Almost 50 years out from the BYUH rugby team winning the National Rugby Championship, Seasider rugby makes a comeback. Just last week in the World Fair were sign ups for a co-ed rugby club at BYUH. Even in the midst of phasing out all athletics at BYUH, rugby seems to be resilient in staying. The BYUH rugby club intends to transition into an intramural sport, if there is enough interest in the initial club. Lila Magalei, special events coordinator on campus, reminisced when she was in school here, and rugby was “so important to the students.” She said she is ecstatic about the recent come back of the sport.Rugby is a tackle sport, often described as being the mix between American football and soccer. Although its origins are disputed, rugby is extremely popular in most Pacific Island countries, as well as Europe, and in the United States just in the past 70 years or so. In recent years, our Utahan counterparts at BYU Provo implemented a collegiate men’s and women’s rugby team and have been named National Champions 4 years in a row.Though violence has been a concern in the past, the club will ensure the safety and training of those participating, calling upon experts on campus to lead clinics and informational sessions. The International Rugby Board (IRB) has been adamant about implementing safer tackling and play in order to combat a recent spike in concern for head injuries.This week, Coach Mahoni, a professor at BYUH, as well as coach for the Laie Parkside Men’s team, hosted Brian Evans, the coach for the women’s international team in New Zealand, in his early morning rugby class. Evans led the drills for the class and also spoke on safe tackle technique. The BYUH rugby club will be holding practice on the rugby field by the little circle in the near future.
Writer: Morgynne Tora ~ Multimedia Journalist
