You Can Say that Again

"I can assure you the Yeomen will come out this week against Denison fired up and ready to kick Big Red ass!"

-Bob Montag,

College sophomore

Referring to the football team's upcoming contest against the Big Red of Denison.

Coming off a decisive 4-0 win over Bluffton and a frustrating 2-0 loss to Hiram, the Yeomen will face the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan on their home turf next Tuesday.

(photo courtesy of Areca Treon)

Could you guys introduce the team a little for those not too familiar with club sports?
EF: Rugby is the roughest sport there is. It's played with 15 people per team, eight in the scrum, six in the back line and one in between the scrum and line, called a scrum half.

KS: We are the best and the brightest, the biggest and the toughest group of women on campus, ready to ruck you, maul you and make you scrum. We play other club teams, usually in Ohio.

Your posters definitely have a theme: Hookers. What does that refer to - in terms of Rugby, of course?
KS: The hookers are the ones who drag the ball out of the scrum with their feet. It's just a completely brutal way of getting possession of the ball.

Rugby is played without pads. How does this add or subtract from the fun of the game?
EF: A clean rugby tackle that thumps your opponent to the ground is more satisfying than a football tackle. I feel good saying that because once upon a time I played that nasty American game.

KS: This definitely adds to the thrill of the game, making it a truly full-contact sport.

How long has the team existed and who founded it?
KS: I think the team has existed for six or seven years, and it was founded by the original "rhino rugger," if you know what I mean.

EF: The team has had many rebirths through the years. It was started back before we had LGBTU by some serious hardcore, very large, hairy women. I would be scared of them, and I don't admit that easily - I'm pretty hairy.

I hear that you guys have post-game parties with the other team. That's quite sportswomanlike. Is this a tradition?
EF: Back in the day, ruggers would travel many miles to play games. After a long hot day on the pitch it was considered rude to send them on their way on empty stomachs. We try to keep that history alive, and we can party longer since they don't have to go as far to get home.

How do you guys expect to do this year?
KS: This season looks really promising. We have a lot of raw rookie talent, great leadership from everyone who's played for awhile, and we proved our strength against Kenyon last weekend by winning 10 - 0.

EF: We have a lot of potential and athletic talent. Honestly, I haven't seen such a conditioned group of ruggers at Oberlin. We can only go up...well, we go down too.

What's your take on the rise of women's professional athletics?
EF: Women - they make 'em bigger, louder and stronger than they used to, don't you think?

KS: I think it's great that women are finally getting the publicity and opportunities that they deserve. I think it's wrong to assume that this has come about because all the sudden women are interested in sports; there has always been female interest in sports and now some women are finally getting the opportunity to make it their career.

This Week's Events

Volleyball

Friday at Lycoming Tournament TBA

Saturday at Lycoming Tournament TBA

Field Hockey

Saturday at Denison 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday vs. Ohio Wesleyan 4:30 p.m.

Men's Soccer

Saturday at Earlham 12:00 p.m.

Tuesday vs. Ohio Wesleyan 4:30 p.m.

Women's Soccer

Saturday at Earlham 2:00 p.m.

Football

Saturday at Denison 1:30 p.m.

What are they talking about?

This week...

Scrum

Sport: Rugby

What it means: It's the big mass of people that occurs when both teams pile on the ball hoping to gain control. Both teams try to push the other past the plane of the ball so that they are between the ball and the other team. They are now in possession and will use their hookers to pass the ball back and start their offense.