The Story
Rugby, Water Polo, Frisbee, Oh My!
Whether it be by “flying beneath the radar,” “scrumming on the pitch,” or “swimming beneath the surface,” Ultimate Frisbee, Rugby and Water Polo all share immense popularity as club sports, while getting little of the recognition.
The Rugby Tradition
The Rugby team is the oldest of the three, founded at William and Mary in the ‘70s. Today the team is led by captains Dustin Dunbar (’09) and William Hammer (’09). The Rugby club team has about 30 members and, due to the nature of the sport, is more physically rigorous than most other varsity teams.
Last season was a relatively successful one for the rugby team, according to Dunbar, and the team had a .500 record. However, this season has gotten off to a rough start. The team has lost their first four games of the season and is now "just looking for a win,” Dunbar said.
Unlike the other above two teams, Rugby has a coach, although he only works part-time for the team. Dunbar expressed his desire for a full time coach with a more "hands-on" philosophy. In the meantime, captains Dunbar and Hammer continue to lead the team both on the pitch and off.
The Rugby team has two upcoming games, including one against rival University of Richmond, and hopes to rebound from its early season losses with solid wins in both games.
When asked about the occurrence of injuries for the student athletes on this physically demanding team, Dunbar recounted a laundry list of his own personal injuries: two shoulder injuries, hip injuries, and, Dunbar said, "You don't even want to see my legs." Dunbar also pointed out that one reason why varsity status for the rugby team would be beneficial is that varsity athletes are granted full access to physical therapy. Athletes on the Rugby club team, however, are left to take care of themselves when they've been injured.
Ultimate!
Another club sport that has of yet been largely ignored in the campus media is Ultimate Frisbee. The Ultimate Frisbee club team was founded in the
‘80s and has since progressed from a hippy sport played without shoes and with dogs - I’m (hopefully) exaggerating here - to the highly competitive, fast paced sport that it is today.
Even then though the team ended with a losing record, going 16-19 in the spring, captain Alan Kolick (’09) said that last season was “a step forward.” The season’s results were “up and down” says Kolick, with big wins over Delaware and Central Florida, but “disappointing at the end” when William and Mary placed 3rd in the Blue Ridge section, and finished 15th out of 16 at the Atlantic Coast regionals in Statesboro, Georgia.
However, for the members of the Frisbee team, the past is in the past and this season, “expectations are high.” The turnover rate was solid this year for the team. While losing only three seniors who “didn’t really contribute,” the team had a strong turnout at tryouts and took on eight freshmen and one sophomore transfer, all “full of heart,” Kolick joked.
Growth and improvement have been the name of the game in past years, and now with a slightly swollen roster of about 30, this season looks to be the pay-off. Kolick declared that the team’s goal this year is to be the top team in the section and to play well against the regional competition, which includes powerhouse universities such as Georgia and UNC.
Unfortunately, Ultimate Frisbee inaccurately has a reputation of being a “hippy sport.” However, having played Ultimate for years, I can tell you from first hand experience that Ultimate Frisbee players do in fact shower and from time to time and also occasionally get hair cuts, contrary to popular belief. Kolick, however, is not phased by this unflattering reputation. When I asked him how he would respond if some obnoxious observer asked “Where’s your dog, man?” Kolick admitted that he probably wouldn’t get it at first, but then would laugh and shrug it off.
Water Polo
In contrast to those two more established teams, who have long histories at William and Mary, the Water Polo team was founded just last spring by Alison Higinbotham, who played Water Polo in high school. She enlisted friend and former varsity swimmer John Savage, and the team was born.
As to why they started the team, Savage replied, “No one loves badminton this much. We started it because we love it.” After Higinbotham informed Savage that William and Mary does, in fact, have a badminton team, she added that she was partially inspired to start the team because she was “bored.”
They began by focusing on growth, which is still a key objective for the ‘08-09 team. Last year the team consisted of about 15 members, and since then has increased to over 30. While the growth rate is impressive, they still do not have consistent enough numbers and talent to split into separate men’s and women’s teams, so the team currently plays in a mixed format.
Another remarkable accomplishment is the team’s 3-1 record last year, with wins over Richmond, Virginia Tech’s B team, and a non-collegiate club team from the Richmond area. Are expectations high this season? Savage said that the first step was to continue to grow, and in the future he plans for the team to join a competitive league so that they will have more games per season.
I was invited to put on my swim trunks and join the team for a practice and I think I will - after all, Higinbotham and Savage tell me the team is still accepting members.
Unfortunately, if you’re interested in seeing these teams play, you’re mostly out of luck. The Rugby team has played its last home game of the fall season, and the Ultimate Frisbee team travels to remote tournaments. However, the Water Polo team is hosting a mini-tournament Nov. 22 at the Rec. Center.
So, be it by land, sea or air, don’t let these club sports sneak up on you, for they are among the most beloved at the College.
This piece originally appeared in the November 2008 issue issue of The DoG Street Journal.