Johnnie rugby looks to finish out fall schedule strong

Like many fall sports in the midst of their seasons, SJU Rugby is in full swing. The team is currently 3-2 with their final regular season game coming up this Saturday against UW-Stout.

The Johnnies’ three wins were all against other DIII teams (St. Thomas, Moorhead and St. Scholastica) with their two losses coming from NDSU and Mankato, which are both DII teams.

During the last weekend in October, the team will play in the Minnesota Final Four in Clearwater, where the winner will advance to the Midwest Final Four in St. Louis, Mo., taking place in mid-November. The winner of the Midwest Final Four will keep their season alive and travel to Houston, Tex. for the National Championship Final Four the weekend of Dec. 9.

Junior club president Jesus Medina cherishes the brotherhood and friendships he has found through this sport.

“We make sure to take care of each other outside of rugby. I love being with the boys and getting to experience everything we’ve already gone through together. Win or lose, they’re still my brothers; they’re still my teammates,” Medina said.

Medina joined the team out of curiosity his first year because he had only ever been involved in marching band, so he wanted to try rugby and see what happened.

“I was that kid who didn’t know anything, but the seniors at the time accepted me for who I was, and I’ve stuck with it ever since,” Medina said.

Senior captain Joey O’Brien’s favorite moment from the season thus far has been watching how the team has overcome all the adversities and injuries impacting their season.

“It is a very supportive environment that emphasizes the team-first mentality, and seeing the commitment of everyone on the team has made me extremely proud to be a part of this group,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien initially joined the team because he loved the sport, but he’s remained because of the impactful people he’s met and the friends he’s made.

“The game of rugby has given me a lot since I started playing, but the life-long relationships that this game has given me is something that has never been lost on me,” O’Brien said.

Senior captain Jamie Ozuna’s favorite moment from the season was when they upset Moorhead.

“We played hard rugby against a team that may have had better athletes than us, but at the end of the day, we used our power and cardio training to pull through and win,” Ozuna said.

Coming off an injury, Ozuna is looking forward to playoffs and getting to play alongside his teammates again as they enter a competitive playoff field.

“Playoffs are where the great teams are separated from the good teams, and I truly believe we are a great team,” Ozuna said.

Head coach Dan Franklin said the season has been challenging with many injuries, which has caused players to be moved around and play outside their usual position. However, Franklin is proud of his team because of their willingness to try new things and do what’s asked of them.

Franklin said his favorite part about coaching is watching his players grow over the years as both athletes and people. Additionally, there are many life skills players gain, which aren’t available if they were playing a regular varsity sport.

“I really enjoy teaching them about rugby and then seeing them use those skills and concepts that weekend in a match. As a club sport, we have officers in charge of budgets, scheduling games, setting up the fields and the overall running of the team. I feel like this is also an important part of their experience at SJU,” Franklin said.

Franklin joined rugby in high school as a way to stay in shape for football but quickly fell in love with it. This newfound love carried over into college where he played for SJU from 2002-2006.

After graduation, he helped coach whilst playing for a local men’s team. However, he later switched to coaching full time and playing on the men’s team whenever he had a free weekend.

The SJU Rugby team still has open recruiting and encourages Johnnies to join. They take in everybody regardless of experience and have positions for everyone.

Although fall is the team’s competitive season, they do have an exhibition season in the spring. Due to injuries and many new players, starting spots are always rotating.

“If you show an honest level of commitment and interest, you will most likely see the field at some point,” Ozuna said.

The relationships formed through this team foster into real, genuine friendships that go beyond the sport.

“I recommend people join because you find a group of guys who actually take care of and value one another. Finding those connections in college is really special, and the rugby team has offered me these connections and continues to offer them for newcomers,” Medina said.