ASNIC rugby gearing up for a strong season

With some new coaching staff and plenty of fresh, dedicated teammates, the ASNIC rugby team has its sights set on a prosperous fall season.

For the fall, the team will be participating in a new style of rugby for many on the team. It is a variation of the game called sevens, where rather than the typical 15 players on the field at a time, there are seven players engaging in seven minutes of intense rugby madness.

“We’re playing Division I and Division II schools to get ready,” said coach Chris Trujillo. “They’re up for the challenge.”

NIC ruby will come into the fall season with a new addition to the coaching staff. Coach Chris Pasterz hails from New Zealand, one of the rugby capitals of the world. Pasterz has more than 15 years’ experience with the sport of rugby and has been imparting his knowledge to the team.

Unfortunately, all of the fall games for the team will be away this year, as they are attempting to qualify for the NCRC (National Collegiate Rugby Conference), in which NIC brought home the Division III championship last spring.

The first definite tournament will be on Oct. 4 in Boise, where the team will face five other competitors.

The qualifying tournament, the Northwest Cup championship, will be on October 10 in Bend, OR.

“October 10 is when it’s on,” Trujillo said.

Though Trujillo would “love to bring another trophy back to NIC,” his main focus and values, as well as the team’s, lie elsewhere.

“It’s not all about winning championships,” said veteran player Lyle Ellis. “It’s about learning the game.”

The team has several new players on the roster this year, but they have spared no time developing their skills and communication together since their first practice at the end of July.

“It’s the best sport I’ve ever played,” said Emma Miller, one of the new additions to the team. “The team is a lot like a family.”

NIC rugby is hoping to prove that the boundaries of being a two-year school are not conditional to how well their team will play.

“We’ve got some good people,” said Ellis. “We have the biggest heart and we hit them hard.”

Players participating in an offensive and defensive maneuver drill