Rugby team confident in abilities

By Nicholas Pinkerton

This season, the Santa Clara rugby team looks to take its rebuilt program to a level that has not been reached since the team's Bay Area championship in the 1970s.

Armed with a core group of seniors, a fresh batch of freshmen and sophomores, and a supportive coaching staff and alumni connection, the Broncos hope to improve on play from last season.

"Right now, we're bringing it back," said junior Sean Carusi. "We want to bring it back to its glory days and really make a name for Santa Clara rugby."

Santa Clara rugby's peak of success dates back to an undefeated 1916 season in which the team outscored its opponents 310-13. That year, three of the teammates later qualified for the 1920 Olympic gold medal team.

"We've been around for a while. There's a lot of history," said Salman Shariat, senior team president and captain.

The team is not yet good enough to compete at an international level, but Shariat and his teammates are building the necessary foundations to take the team where they want it to be in the future.

"Eventually I'd like to see us reach Division I, and then eventually reach maybe even a varsity standing," said Shariat. "Those are big dreams, but you've got to put your eyes somewhere."

When Shariat and Carusi began their Santa Clara rugby experience in the fall of 2005, they were not fully satisfied with the program.

"The coaching staff and the team were not dedicated enough for the program to expand and become more than just another club team," said Carusi.

It was at the end of his first season that Shariat took over as the club's president, and he believed there were many changes to be made.

"The only factors that we could control, that we didn't have, was a dedicated coach and the commitment from the team," Shariat said.

Shariat, along with the help of Carusi and other players, made the effort to get the program advancing in a positive direction. It began with the hiring of Head Coach Chris Kron, a former University of Arizona rugby player who coached previously at Stanford University.

Kron eventually retired from the position and went on to coach a summer team comprised of different collegiate players from around the nation.

Kron said he was hesitant in taking the position since he was recently married and lived in the San Francisco area. Fortunately, the efforts put forth by Shariat and the team won Kron over.

"They really convinced me that they were committed and they wanted to make a change, not just for themselves but for the future of Santa Clara rugby," he said.

Once hired, Kron recruited four of his friends, all rugby players, to make up an assistant coaching staff. In addition, the team contacted other rugby players from the area to volunteer their time and help the team during practice on certain days, said Shariat.

The team has been practicing three times a week and will utilize Tuesdays for conditioning and Sundays for film study, similar to the practice routine for NCAA teams.

"I'd say the only difference is we have maybe one to two days less commitment a week," said Carusi. "Most of these young guys really seem like they're really interested in the sport, and they want to stick with it. A lot of them are showing a lot of dedication right now."

Carusi was also impressed with the way the program has grown in size since he first began competing.

"I think that's really great, and that the numbers will only get bigger and they won't diminish," said Carusi.

The Broncos have already competed in two preseason tournaments, the UC Santa Cruz Slugfest and the Stanford 10's.

At the Santa Cruz tournament, the Broncos came away with a 3-0 record, but only finished 1-4 because they intentionally used their rookie players frequently.

"That's one of the things you want to see -- how the rookies and veterans can play together and see how the rookies pick up their level of play," said Carusi.

The team also played Stanford last Sunday, losing 34-20, but left with a positive outlook on their performance.

"We dominated a lot of aspects of the game," said Shariat. "We definitely had some good phases of play; we just couldn't score."

The team plays in the Division II section of the Northern California Rugby Football Club and faces teams such as University of San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz and Humboldt State.

"Northern California alone is just a powerhouse of rugby teams. Every match we play is a tough one," said Carusi.

Though it's doubtful that the team will repeat the 1916 season this year, the Broncos are confident in fusing new and veteran talent to compete for a spot in the Division II playoffs.

"This year should be a good year," said Shariat. "There's a lot of potential."

Contact Nicholas Pinkerton at (408) 551-1918 or npinkerton@scu.edu.