As their regular season came to a halt, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s men’s rugby club team slid into the quarterfinals, prepared for whatever hurdle comes their way.
Unfortunately, the hurdle was too much to overcome, as the team fell to the University of Chicago Saturday, Oct. 25, in Chicago. Though they were far from home, their hard work showed on the field.
Since the start of September, the team practiced two to three times a week through the early scorching heat for their regular season, and even through the chilling 30 degrees Fahrenheit with rain, as they neared the quarterfinals. Even if the fields were muddy or the frosty wind crawled down their spine, they pushed through.
“We’re going in. We’re gonna be tough. We’re gonna be gritty,” club president Bryce Joel said. “I mean, that’s what we have to do. That’s what we do all year. That’s what our foundation is built on, being tough, being hard in the contact areas, talking with your shoulder, not your mouth, and just being real physical.”
While they spent their Tuesdays as a conditioning and contact day, working on their tackling and defense, Thursdays, their skills day, are spent having the forwards work together separately from the backs. With between 25-30 players, their individual skills must be as refined as their teamwork.
“We made it to the playoffs, we deserve to be there, and things change once you get to the playoffs,” Joel said prior to the game. “The regular season doesn’t matter; flush that. We made it to the playoffs. We got some tough games coming up, but we’re a tough team as well, so we’re gonna play that hard-nosed rugby. We’re going to persevere through.”
This wasn’t the first time UW-Whitewater played against the University of Chicago. Back in the spring of 2023, they went up against them in 7s. However, it’s been a long time since the team has gone against their 15s side.
This season, Chicago’s team displayed that they won’t go down easily.
They were able to showcase their skills and competitiveness with each game they won. However, Joel and his team acknowledged the challenge.
“We got a draw against a tough team,” Joel said. “They’re a good team; they’re skilled, but we’re gritty, so we’re gonna try and match their skill with our grit. We’re gonna go out there and show them what Wisconsin rugby’s like. This is what we do in rural Wisconsin versus what they do down there in the city.”
Just as it wasn’t the first time the team has gone up against the University of Chicago, it’s not their first time in the conference. Not that long ago, in 2023, UW-W advanced to the Sweet 16 in the Great Midwest Rugby Conference.
However, their history doesn’t stop there. In 2022, the team made it to the Collegiate Rugby Championship, and in 2019, all the way to the inception of the Great Midwest Rugby Conference; either were national champions or national finalists.
“We have players that come out that have been here for two months that have been accelerating really well,” head coach Carmen Consolino said. “It’s just a growing process to see how we can develop and be that quality of a team again.”
