Marymount University Rugby Program Lacks Players

Written by: Luca Gomez
Photography by: Luca Gomez and Unsplash

Although Marymount established rugby as a club sport in 2023, Marymount’s rugby players are substituting at other nearby colleges until the club attracts more players.

Practices for the spring season are set to resume indoors in January after winter break.

Buzz McClain, director of the rugby program and coach, said he is searching for students to join the Marymount rugby program.

McClain said, “With the Athletics Department firmly supporting the
rugby club, we have participated in new student and high school
recruitment fairs throughout the summer and posted flyers around
campus to heighten awareness of the new opportunity for
student-athletes. The cold reality is, there are 22 NCAA D3 teams at
Marymount, which is wonderful, but that doesn’t leave very many
student-athletes to draw from.”

McClain said, “We’re not the only school that has thin rosters, so with
the blessing of the National Collegiate Rugby Union, our players have
been folding into other schools for their games, so we’ve been getting
game time.” Marymount players substitute for nearby college rugby
teams, such as George Mason University and Towson University.

McClain said in an email, “With NCAA coaches’ permission, I
encourage student-athletes to train with the rugby club during their off season since we play fall and spring. I promise to send them back
fitter, faster, and confident in their athleticism.”

McClain said, “Rugby is a sport that any “body type” can play—large,
small, short, tall, fast, slow. We don’t have tryouts, we don’t have cuts,
and everybody plays, even if you can’t make every practice. We have
a volunteer coaching crew with decades of experience.”

Brian Tavara, captain of the rugby team, said, “Spreading the word
that Marymount has a rugby team is the key to get more players to
join. I heard about the Marymount rugby team through a friend of mine
that played. I had zero rugby experience.”

Rugby player Julian Diaz, said, “I heard about the team through
Marymount’s website and through friends. I wanted to join the team
because I have loved playing rugby since I started the sport in my
freshman year of high school.”

Diaz said, “The only thing I would say needs improvement is the
number of people we have on our team, that being around 10.”

Diaz said, “ A few good ways the team can grow is through word of
mouth, posters, team events and messages on the school website.”

Saints rugby fundraisers are set for the offseason to raise money and
awareness about the club.

For inquiries contact: mmcclain@marymount.edu.