Rugby - the word alone generates a vivid image of crazed men throwing their battered, bloody bodies into piles of humanity and chaos.
In some contexts, the sport reflects these generalizations, but in reality, rugby is about much more than its stereotypes.
Rich in tradition, rugby represents a test of will power and the true spirit of team unity.
If it sounds like any other sport played on the Wisconsin campus, join senior back Ben Cornfield, junior forward Sean Beuche and their teammates on the UW men's club rugby team for an 80-minute tutorial during a Monday night practice.
It's rough,"" Cornfield said. ""It's 80
minutes - two 40-minute halves - with no stoppages. Once you sub out, you can't go back in. You're only allowed seven subs, and it's 15-on-15. So you know only half the guys at most are coming out.""
""There's no downs,"" Beuche added.
""That's how it's different than football. Ideally, the game doesn't stop for 40 minutes.""
Although some might be intimidated by the fact that rugby players do not wear pads, both Beuche and Cornfield said usually only dirty plays result in injuries.
""Guys that don't really know [about rugby] think that tackling is the most intense part, but that's what we love to do,"" Cornfield said. ""Going the full 80 minutes - that sucks. Tackling is the fun part.""
The two team captains explained that unlike in football, where tacklers approach ball carriers head-on, rugby tacklers approach from the side.
According to Beuche, hitting his friends at Monday and Wednesday night practices help him ""break up the monotony of school.""
""You come out of a long Monday worth of classes and you get to drill you friends,"" he said.
Although the rugby team plays in relative obscurity on a field, or pitch, near University Hospital, this spring they have won two tournaments.
On April 19, the Badgers took home the Milwaukee Cup, beating Marquette 20-12, UW-Stout 34-14 and UW-Milwaukee 21-3.
What makes the victories remarkable is that the Wisconsin rugby team is classified as a Division II team, while several opponents like Stout and UWM are in Division I.
""We came through, and we dismantled them,"" Cornfield said. ""That was the first time we had won the cup in five years.""
Wisconsin also won the Condor Tournament on April 26, beating Illinois 31-5. The Fighting Illini are also in Division I. UW defeated UW-Parkside in the tournament championship.
""We've been getting to a higher level,"" Beuche said. ""Our team is really developing.""
The Badgers play both A-games and
B-games so everyone on the team gets a chance to participate.
""We've got guys who played with us two, three years on B-side, and now they're studs on the A-side,"" Cornfield said. ""And that's why we're winning tournaments.""
Yet both Beuche and Cornfield stressed that the games represented only one part of rugby. After a grueling 80 minutes of beating up on each other, teams come together to sing traditional rugby songs and share a few beers.
Not only does rugby foster a unique camaraderie, but it invites players into a global subculture few sports share.
During spring break, the Badgers traveled to Santiago, Chile. Although they were soundly defeated by the Santiago teams, the Badgers partied with and made new friends of their opponents. The Chileans and Badgers had little in common, but rugby bridged the cultural divide.
Trips like these make playing on the rugby team a unique experience. Yet the travels are not the main reason why players like Cornfield and Beuche enjoy playing for crowds of 100 on Saturdays in fall, while the football team draws 82,000 for its games.
""It's because of the love of the sport that we keep on coming back,"" Beuche said. ""I personally love rugby far more than any sport that has come my way. I do play other sports but ... rugby takes
the cake.""
""It's a great thing that I found in my life,"" Cornfield added. ""Rugby is easily the best thing that's happened to me in college. It's so hard to play it and not enjoy it.""
