For the first time since 1992, the Wisconsin Rugby Football Club is heading to the Division II National Championships. This weekend, the team, which has recently established itself as a rugby powerhouse in the Midwest, travels to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., to battle Miami (Ohio), Middlebury and Georgetown for the title.
The Badgers went into this spring with high expectations, and proved to be much better than their regular season opponents. Their closest match was a 48-5 win against UW-Milwaukee. The team has outscored its opponents 195-13 overall. Heading into postseason play, the only question was if they could compete with the top tier teams.
Wisconsin answered its own question two weeks ago when the Badgers, a 16 seed in the USA Rugby Collegiate Sweet Sixteen, stunned the No. 1 seed Salisbury, 19-17. Down late in the match, it took a last second try by Garret Donath to help the Badgers sneak by. The next day, the Badgers defeated Arizona State 42-22 to punch their ticket to Rugby's Final Four. Although they won in Cinderella fashion, the Badgers don't see themselves as underdogs.
""We train as a team so well, and there's such good chemistry on our team that we might seem like underdogs. No one really expects us,"" said player and club president Quentin Reuter. ""When you look at us, we're not just huge, giant athletes, but, basically, we try to use our talent a little bit more so than other teams and that's what helps us win.""
Cinderella story or not, this is the biggest weekend for the Wisconsin Rugby Football Club since their 1992 appearance in the Final Four. The team will play two matches—its first semifinal game is Friday at 2:30 p.m. Miami (Ohio) is a familiar opponent for the Badgers. Last fall the Red Hawks stole the top spot in the Midwest from the Badgers, and this weekend the team is excited for their chance at revenge.
""Playing in the [Final Four] is a great honor, and we know we can certainly compete against these clubs,"" said UW rugby player Lee Glauser. ""This also gives us a chance to redeem ourselves against Miami and reclaim the number one spot in the Midwest region. We're all very excited and realize that this very well could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.""
The Badgers also play a second game, whether it is in the national championship game or the third place game, depending on how they fare against Miami (Ohio). The 1992 team was unable to win in either of its Final Four games, so this weekend gives this year's team the chance to be the most successful since the club's creation.
The Badgers hope to build off the excitement from the win over Salisbury and continue rolling all the way to the championship.
""The win gave us our swagger and the confidence to know we could beat anyone, but we never look past our next opponent,"" said Glauser. ""At this point, every match is the match of our lives, and it's one loss and we're done.""
