Written by Zoe Chin/Sports Director
With the environment of brotherhood and teamwork, the FIU men’s rugby team has high hopes for the season and the future of the sport at the university.
In the past two years, there has been a big growth in the rugby team, according to the men’s rugby coach Ronnie Suarez.
“Its about the group as a whole,” said Suarez.
Suarez does his best to enforce a brotherhood among the team called ‘rugby culture.’ The culture of rugby is that the team tries to create an equal environment, according to Suarez. For the players, they try to make their practices fun by joking around with one another or having playful rivalries between them.
“We’re competitive athletes, but we also want to have fun,” said Suarez.
When the team goes to away games, they encourage rituals for their team building. These rituals include a game called ‘toll’. This is for when all the players have to perform a task in order to get back onto the bus at a rest stop. One of their tasks was to sing a Justin Bieber song, Suarez mentioned.
After games, the FIU team also has a social with the opposing players where they meet together to eat, talk, and further ‘rugby culture’.
Since winning games and creating a name for rugby at FIU, there have been high school and college students interested in sport, according to Suarez.
Having gone against other universities such as South Florida University, the University of Miami, and Florida Gulf Coast University, the team started to create a name for the sport at the university.
During their last season, the team went undefeated and made it to the USA Rugby College 7s National Championship, ending with a 2-3 record.
The team qualified for Nationals and will travel to Infinity Park in Glendale, Ohio in May to compete against other universities. Suarez believes that hard work and teamwork will get the crew far in the championships.
Suarez encourages that people try rugby instead of believing the sport’s stereotypes. Rugby can be seen as rough and dangerous since the players don’t wear padding or gear. But it is one of the safest sports, according to Suarez.
“[The rugby] law is focused around safety,” said Suarez.
In a study about rugby injuries in 2018, one in four rugby players will get injured during the season.
Suarez makes sure that his players understand the proper way to fall after coming into contact and the best ways to tackle the opposing players. All of their preparation goes to keeping the game safe and fun.
Until the Nationals come around, Suarez continues to train his team for their upcoming games.
If interested in joining the men’s rugby team, contact them through their Instagram @fiurugby or catch them outside the Modesto A. Maidique Well and Recreation Center on Thursdays.
Featured image by Zoe Chin/PantherNOW
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