The Red and Black

By MARCUS WIGGINS For The Red & Black

When the Georgia club Rugby team opens its season Saturday, it wants University students not only come out and watch, but to play.

Georgia's 25-member rugby team is currently looking for new members in order to hold full scrimmages with 30 players.

Due to Georgia rugby's Division II club classification, the team welcomes undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and even alumni. The team requires no experience for its new players.

"The big thing is wanting to play and being involved," said team president Justin Harrell, a senior from Douglas. "We'll teach you how to play."

The team plays two matches on game days - an "A" game and a "B" game. The competitive "A" game consists of experienced players, while the "B" game serves as a learning experience for newer players.

According to its players, rugby is much less reckless than it first appears.

"A lot of people think it's a sport for crazy people, but injuries tend to be less frequent than people might think," said Larry Doong, a senior from Athens.

Ian Wilson, a senior team member from Los Altos, Calif., said rugby is unlike the sport many watch on television.

"This is not Australian rules football. This is not a game played by toothless thugs," Wilson said.

In rugby, the ball carrier does not plow through the opponent. Instead, the defender attempts to wrap up the ball carrier instead of blasting him backwards.

"The goal of rugby is to keep the flow, not gain the extra yard," Doong said.

Georgia rugby, the oldest club team on campus at 31 years, practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the intramural field

The team opens its season Saturday at 11 a.m. on intramural field No. 1 against the Clemson Tigers.

The team has 10 games scheduled for the fall semester. The schedule includes road trips to South Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Auburn.

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