Often students have high hopes of making it into professional competition for the sports they love to play. These athletes do not start the day they are drafted, but need to have played and trained since they were very young. Many professional sports have found their roots in other countries and made their way to the United States. One of these sports, which has rapidly grown in recent years, is rugby.
Not only is rugby one of the fastest growing sports in American high schools, it is also scheduled to make its debut in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil. The National Rugby League (NRL) is predicted to grow in popularity considerably in the upcoming years. Campus senior Ryan Dynice-Carroll plays rugby for Buchanan High School.
The goal of rugby is to score what is called a try which is worth five points and then the kicker must kick perpindicluar to where the try was scored. For the try to count, players must touch the ball to the ground under control. When the kicker kicks for points after the try is scored, the conversion is worth to two points. If the kicker kicks during normal play then the points awarded would be three.
Rugby has many different aspects within the game itself. There are muitiple positions on a 15-person team; each team has two props (one tight head and one loose head), one hooker, two locks, two flankers, one 8 man, one scrum half, one fly half, two centers (one inside and one outside), two wings (one left and one right) and one fullback.
Rugby in the greater-Fresno area is quite lively and there are three major levels of rugby: high school, college and adult. The high schools who particapte in the area are Fresno High School, Bullard, Clovis High School, Roosevelt High School, Clovis West and Buchanan.
At Bullard High School they have a unique program, offering both boys and girls rugby. California State University of, Fresno, also has two college teams, fielding both a mens and womens team.
Senior transfer student Dynice-Carroll started playing as a junior for Buchanan’s rugby club in 2012. His first year he finished as League and Valley Champion and seventh in the state of California.
His best experince of his rugby career was when he and his team played against Arroyo Grande in a football stadium in the Central Coast. He also enjoyed traveling to Sacramento, CA, for state playoffs last season as well as going to state playoffs again; also being a league and valley champion this year.
“My favorite thing about rugby, would probably have to be making big hits and big tackles; I also love scoring trys,” Dynice-Carroll said. “I also a really big fan of the camaraderie. Because on of the big things is that rugby is a big social event. After each game there’s a buffet for both teams to get to meet and chat about how the game went. Guys like giving each other hard times about the hits they made and stuff.”
Ryan is not the only rugby player on campus. Nick Moraca, ’15, also plays for Bullard High school, because FC does not have a rugby program or club on campus.
“I love playing rugby,” Moraca said. “I’ve played rugby for two years, and hope to continue playing for the next two years. I love playing for Bullard rugby, and am very thankful for the opportunity to grow in my skill set there.”
Rugby is also a social outlet for many players like Dynice-Carroll and Moraca. Rugby is one of those sports that players can grow old in its truly magical comodrodritee. The one thing about rugby is that anyone who is will to work hard and willing to understand the game there is a great chance you just might fall in love with it, he said.
“Also during the feed, each team awards one player from the other team an MVP trophy, called Man of the Match. I had the honor of getting Man of the Match,” Dynice-Carroll said. “I got it when we played Bullard High. It was a great feeling to know all the hard work I put into the off season payed off.”
Though he enjoys the competitive nature of the sport, he has also had embarrassing moments. But that hasn’t stopped Dynice-Carroll from thriving in the team-centered sport.
“The most embrassing moment of my rugby career so far is when I got a red card against Bullard on March 15 of 2013.” Dynice-Carroll said “Last season me and my team finished seventh in the state up in Sacramento during state playoffs. Last season only being my first was an acomplishment to be apart of something bigger than myself. When you acomplish something like this, you honestly feel on top of the world like no one can knock you down.”
Moraca also has been involved in some injuries, but also had the opportunity to score for himself.
“Some of my best memories in rugby are scoring; I scored my first try in a game against Roosevelt,” Moraca said. “When I got my concussion, I thought I would be out for the rest of the season. But I ended up only being out for a week and then getting medically cleared to play again.”
Dynice-Carroll not only wants to continue playing rugby throughout high school, but in college too. Possibly even if he gets the opporturnity and it is in God’s will for him, he may try and play for the US National team.
“Next year my plans are to go to Arizona State and continue to play rugby for the Sun Devils,” Dynice-Carroll said. “I’ve also received a scholarship from them for this. Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in America, and I have a great time playing it. The way i got invovled with this great sport was one of my old teammates who i also play football with invited me to come out and play.”
It’s always difficult to suffer though injury and losing games though out the season; and for Moraca’s team they suffer both travesties. Next year will possibly be a down year for him and his team.
“I think this season as a team we could have done better,” Moraca said. “We had a lot of turnovers this season, that lead to our losses. Next year we will have a lot of new players since we are losing many of our seniors. It will be an interesting season to see how the new guys fit in.”
Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.
For more sports, read the May 6 article, Softball sport shorts: Fowler.
