The game of rugby was first played in England in 1823. Over the years, the game has expanded its reach to a worldwide level as it is now an olympic sport and played by millions.

Although the game objectively has gotten bigger, in South Louisiana, the LSU Club Rugby team wants to continue this growth to the next generation.

The team plays a highly competitive schedule that includes teams with university backed funding like Tennessee and Kentucky. Despite the disadvantage, in both games the team fought very hard and even earned a draw with Kentucky.

The LSU Club Rugby team is only one example of many grassroot rugby teams as many high schools across Louisiana now offer rugby as an extracurricular and the number is only going to continue to grow.

The growth of rugby is already well on its way in the boot as a professional team called the Nola Gold formed in 2017. The team was in New Orleans for eight years and also played a big role in growing the sport.

For the players on the club team, rugby is a part of their everyday life. Senior Sal Puleo lives this as, for him, rugby is much more than just a game.

“If I never played rugby, my life would be a lot different. Just from meeting certain people out here, building connections, friendships, stuff like that. My life would just not be the same.”

The team concluded their season this past Saturday with their alumni game. This is a huge fundraising event for the team as the event was held at the UREC fields.