The OSU Rugby team is taking 27 players, their OSU trainer, four coaches, one manager, an alumni, and a parent on a trip to England this Thursday. The coaches for the rugby team have colleagues in Northampton and London who coach in the English professional leagues, and who also have developmental teams (lower teams). The coaches at Northampton and London will each hold three days of training for the OSU Rugby team and have arranged three games with their developmental teams for OSU to play against. OSU will play Northampton, BBOB (a premier, but not professional, club in Northampton), and Richmond. They will also have the opportunity to watch two professional games and two premier games.
Playing rugby isn?t the only thing the team will be doing; OSU will also be touring the Rugby School, an high school and College prep school in England. In 1823, Webb Ellis "with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played at that time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby Game" at the Rugby School. They will also visit the Gilbert manufacturing plant, maker of the best rugby balls gear in the world, and will tour Twickingham Stadium, the first international rugby ground.
The goal of the trip is to see how the game of rugby is played in the rest of the world and to help the team improve. Rugby is the world's NFL, but America does not yet have that mentality about rugby. The OSU Rugby players will receive some instruction as they meet professional players in England and the coaches will get to learn some new tactics and drills from observing the professional teams train. Although OSU Rugby has been one of the more successful Collegiate programs in the U.S. over the past 10 years, they failed to qualify for the National Tournament this past fall for the first time in 12 years, and are hoping to gain some insight on how to improve for next year from this trip.
The trip will also be a great opportunity to share in another important aspect of rugby, which is camaraderie. The OSU Rugby Club will have plenty of time for socializing, since each team hosting them will be holding several dinners for at their clubs. In England, rugby clubs are similar to large athletic clubs with work-out and training facilities, showers and lockers, and places to eat for after-game events. OSU players will probably also spend time with the English players away from the rugby facilities on their time off.
The trip was approved by USA Rugby and by England Rugby, as well as the IRB (International Rugby Board). Only certified teams and registered players are allowed to participate in these exchanges. The team is paying for the trip from a combination of Alumni contributions, fundraisers, and individual payments.
