Posted: 05/03/06

St. Michael's rugby heats it up under the lights
The men's team kicked off P-Day weekend with a 32-5 win

Nick Martin | contributing writer
nmartin@smcvt.edu

Students spread out along the sideline of the field in the 300s on Friday, April 28 to cheer the St. Michael’s College men’s rugby team. As the sun set, the intensity increased with the team on the field and the fans off the field.

The men's rugby game kicked off P-Day weekend with a 32-5 win over University of Vermont (UVM). It was the first time the rugby team had played under the lights at home.

Junior Rob Outtrim was the team’s highest scorer, tallying 15 points on Friday night. Sophomore John Herman, first-year Morgan Knapton and senior Pat Scheld each scored five points. Junior C.J. Hunnewell made two kicks at one point each.

“The reason we decided to play UVM is because we have a good relationship with them,” says club president Tom Smith. “They’re our friends. We didn’t want to have a hostile environment. We wanted to show the fans that it wasn’t about beating up the other team. Rugby is a gentlemen’s sport. We wanted to show how the culture of rugby is different than it is often perceived in the United States.”

Planning

Before Friday’s game, Smith said he expected the night’s event to be one-of-a-kind.

“Tonight’s game is going to be incredible,” Smith said that afternoon. “The players are excited, the fans are excited, and I feel like the administration is excited about it too. A lot of planning has gone into it, so I hope it goes well.”

Significant planning for the event was made by rugby officers, Student Association (S.A.) members, and Residence Life. The suggestion of a rugby game on P-Day weekend originally came from the S.A.

“The Student Association asked us if we wanted to play on P-Day, but we didn’t think that would be a good idea," Smith says. "We thought that the day before P-Day, under the lights, would be good.”

Outtrim had a hand in organizing Friday’s event.

“There was so much responsibility with setting the field up,” Outtrim says. “Getting the lights, getting a team to commit to play under the lights, and getting a referee – all the little details. And then having to worry about if people were going to drink or cause problems at the event."

Smith says he hoped everyone who came to watch the game acted responsibly and refrained from drinking during the game.

“We want to show the administration how seriously we take their concerns, and that we can do it right,” Smith says. “We just want to play rugby, and entertain. We’re a really good team and the program is going in the right direction.”

Funding for the lights came from the S.A. as part of the P-Day weekend budget, Outtrim says.

Attendance

Two light towers shone down on the players, illuminating the 300s field. Fans continued to arrive after the 7:30 p.m. kickoff, and numbered in the hundreds before the game finished. The national anthem was sung prior to the game by junior Michael DeGrandpre. Disc Jockey Chris Hines, a senior, was on hand to keep the fans energetic.

“It was a huge success. I couldn’t have been any happier,” Outtrim says. "There was just a huge crowd it was so much fun. I think everyone got into it. It felt like there were 500 or 600 people out there.”

Scheld says he was appreciative of the fans as well.

“I was very happy with the student turnout. I saw a lot of faces there I didn’t know," Scheld says. "I was expecting to see a lot of seniors there, because all the seniors live right there. That’s how it has been for the majority of our season, but Friday I saw a lot of freshmen and people I didn’t recognize at the game.”

The future

Ending with a win wasn't the only good thing to happen to the men's team this season.

“Six of our guys were selected to play for the Vermont Select Side team, which is huge. Five of those people will be with us next year,” Outtrim says. Having five solid returning players will benefit the team greatly.

For the graduating seniors like Scheld, he says it was good to go out under the lights.

Friday’s game was Scheld’s last as a Purple Knight. He says he feels good about leaving the program with a win.

“I feel great about our season,” Outtrim says. “We got to play a lot in the spring. I feel totally confident going into next fall.”