Rugby may not be the most well-known sport at Trinity, but the program is rapidly gaining respect.

Following a mid-March match against Culver Military Academy from Indiana, Culver head coach Darrell Knowlton said, “(Trinity) is a very disciplined team, and it was a joy to come play them. Trinity played with a lot of heart and athleticism.”

As the young program gains popularity and success — they reached the state championship match last year against St. Xavier — they draw more elite players. 

According to head coach Neil Arnold, “We’re getting more quality players, building depth, and the kids are understanding the game a little better.”

Rugby certainly isn’t the easiest game to understand.  From the bleachers it looks like complete mayhem.  It’s exactly like a final desperation play in a football game, when players just keep executing laterals in hopes of reaching the end zone.

The only differences are that in rugby the desperation play lasts for 80 minutes, and there aren’t any pads.  Add to the mix coaches screaming “ruck with him” (when the ball ends up on the ground and players are only allowed to kick it free), and it adds a new level of confusion.

According to junior Robert Streeter, a first-year rugby team member and former lacrosse player, the game isn’t as easy as he expected.

He said, “Rugby is a little more complicated than I thought it would be, but I’m finally starting to get the hang of it.”

Since most players are just starting to play rugby in high school, there can be some uncertainty about minor rules, leading officials to explain them throughout the matches.

According to Arnold, having younger players would help grow the game.  Right now there aren’t many grade school or middle school teams to feed into high school programs. Until relatively recently, there were few rugby teams in the United States, period.

Knowlton said when he first got involved with rugby in 1992, there were only about 50 high school teams nationwide.

“In the last 20 years, we have seen a huge explosion in high school rugby,” according to Mr. Duane Schrader, a USA Rugby referee.

In Schrader’s 40 years involved with rugby as a player, coach and now as an official, he has seen the sport grow exponentially.

According to Schrader, the growth is partly due to the better framework at the national level.   There are more opportunities for national and regional playoffs, which have sparked interest in rugby.

USA Rugby has provided the structure to overcome the negative reputation that rugby had for off-the-field problems and what Schrader called “excessive extracurricular activities.” Also contributing to the growth are college scholarships being offered to rugby players, and players being encouraged by other Americans who are successful playing overseas.

Still, rugby faces some challenges with growth.  At Trinity a lack of numbers has always been a bit of a struggle.  Rugby has in general had much slower growth in Kentucky than in other places such as Indiana, according to Knowlton.

Knowlton said that states with a strong lacrosse presence have experienced slower growth, since the sports compete for similar athletes.

Also working against rugby are many misconceptions.  “There’s the stigma that rugby players are crazy animals and stuff like that,” Arnold said.  “It looks a lot more violent than it really is.”

According to Arnold, rugby is actually safer than football.

It’s undeniable that rugby is picking up speed.  All sorts of people are beginning to see rugby as the “social and friendly game” that Arnold describes.

Mrs. Donna Phillips, whose son Ryan Phillips is new to rugby this year, sees the positives the sport provides, such as exercise and the camaraderie among players.

“It is a physical game, but through good coaching and the right techniques, the coaches are doing a good job minimizing the risk of injury,” Donna Phillips said.

What sets rugby apart from other sports is that its growth has been much more player driven, according to Schrader.

Schrader sees the sport continuing to grow because “rugby is the consummate American sport. It’s the only game that you have constant action, scoring, hitting — and a little bit of blood.”