The University of Memphis rugby club acquired more support and resources after meeting with M. David Rudd, president of the University of Memphis, Oct. 1.
Joel Witcher, president of the Memphis rugby club and Musa Banat, captain of the rugby team, both represented the team as they spoke with Rudd regarding the future of the club and its potential. Rudd responded with plans to better equip the team with uniforms, facilities, team funds and a spot in a rugby league.
“We showed him the definite key aspects of how we are going to benefit the city, the university and the guys that we bring into the team,” Witcher said. “He is going to trust us, and we are going to follow through in part by giving back to the city and the university.”
Banat said Rudd made plans to allocate $5,000 for the rugby team and look into getting a Nike sponsorship for the team, which would include uniforms, cleats, mouth guards, practice equipment and any other gear the team would need. A renovated locker room in the Elma Neal Roane Fieldhouse and a weight room at the Larry O. Finch Center were also discussed.
“The meeting helped give us a jump start that we need to get the team to a varsity level sponsor,” Witcher said. “We can start giving back to Dr. Rudd and to the university now.”
The Memphis Tigers rugby club and the University of Tennessee Volunteers met Oct. 6 in Germantown for a match that allowed the Tigers a chance to prove their worthiness to play in a league. UTK met a stingy Tigers defense that kept them to only a single try in the first half. The Tigers went into halftime tied at 5-5. Memphis scored 18 points in the second half, landing them the victory at 23-5.
“The players believed in their full potential, and they didn’t give up,” Witcher said. “They played from the first whistle to the last whistle. It was truly amazing to see that.”
The team gained Rudd’s support by agreeing to seek a spot in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference by next season to compete with various other universities, including the University of Tennessee. Defeating Tennessee proved their ability to compete at that level.
“One thing that we were going to get from having additional funding and a more established program was that we were going to enter a bigger league,” Banat said. “We’re happy to compete in a league with Tennessee, MTSU and bigger schools.”
Witcher said the team played hard and were physical and aggressive. Witcher also said they emphasized the smaller details in play during practice and coming out of the game victorious greatly boosted the team’s morale, marking a significant highlight for the season.
“This team has by far the most proactive side it’s ever had,” Banat said. “It’s just the motivation to grow. There is always room to grow, and the Tiger rugby program wants to grow. We wanted to be something that is noticed by (the) city of Memphis, other schools and the students. I believe we have definitely stepped on the first stepping stone towards becoming more.”
