The University of Memphis Rugby Club concluded the 2018 season after blowing out the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs by a score of 55-13.
The final game of the season for the Tigers took place Nov. 17 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Team captain Musa Banat said the season was an overall highlight that showed promise for the future of the program.
“Tiger rugby has been on a slippery slope for years, but this has been the best season,” Banat said. “We have good athletes with tons of potential, and they are very involved and invested with the program.”
The Tiger Rugby Club finished the season with a 9-1 record and wins against established programs like the Ole Miss Rebels, Tennessee Volunteers, Florida State Seminoles and the Mobile Battleship Rugby Club. Their only loss was against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the middle of the season. The Tiger Rugby Club has not lost a game in the past two months.
“The expectation is going to rise,” Banat said. “I expect us to play even better teams. We had a great season, and it was a lot of fun being a part of it. We played pretty solid teams, but we are going to play even better teams next year.”
Banat said the team fully expects to be in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) before the start of next season following the team’s display against their current schedule.
“It is a very serious commitment for our future as a team to play in the SCRC,” Banat said. “It will come with heavier competition, but we expect that. I do expect, and I cannot wait to be in the SCRC.”
The U of M Rugby Club has played two teams in the SCRC. The Tigers beat the Rebels at the beginning of the season and the Volunteers in October.
Banat said the season has been a lesson about what the team should expect in the future.
“We know what is in our cross-hairs now,” Banat said. “We understand there is a lot of potential here. We know what our goals should be, and we are acting on those goals. The team shares the same goal, and we know what we are shooting for. This season has set us up for greatness, and it should only get better from here.”
Head coach Steve Swatzyna said the team finished the season well and said he expects to use the off-season to improve the fitness and unity of the team.
“It’ll be a good off-season,” Swatzyna said. “We’ll use the time to heal up a little bit, get a little fitness work done, and we’ll get ready to start again.”
Swatzyna said 29 players traveled to Chattanooga for the game, and they represented the team well.
“There was a good sense of teamwork in the game,” Swatzyna said. “There was a good turnout for the last game of the year. It was a good game, and the team pulled out a good win.”
The rugby club will not lose any players because there are no seniors on the team, and 10 players have been recruited in for the class of 2019.
Turk Wigley secures the ball after he was tackled by a UTC defender. Wigley started his first year on the Tiger Rugby team after being recruited in 2018.
