The whistle blows, and instantly a chorus of directions and cheers rise off the field as the players expertly coordinate their moves. It is clear from the start that the confident men of Guilford rugby want to convey to the team from Davidson College: this game is ours.
Considering Guilford’s impressive 12-5 win, their point was unmistakably made. Davidson College, a Division I school, played and beat the Guilford rugby team last year with a score of 28-0, yet it was clear the team has very different plans for this season.
“It was really important to win the first game of the season, especially against a team that shut us out last season,” said sophomore Nelson Ruble, taking part in the team’s optimistic attitude about the upcoming season. Supercharged by the excitement of the season’s potential, the Guilford players were completely synchronized on the field and worked as a unit to swiftly take their victory.
The Quakers’ will to succeed was tangible on the field, and after months of intensive preparation, this comes as no surprise.
“We’ve been working hard every week to improve and try to win out the matrix season. We’ve won the first two games and we’re looking to keep the wins coming,” senior Randall Aldana, noting their successes so far this season, as well as the endless hours the team spent training to guarantee they would be unstoppable this spring.
First-year rugby player, Randy Perry scored the first goal of the season, blazing ahead of the opponent’s bungling defensive players and getting the ball into the try zone in the second half of the game. Once the lead was Guilford’s, the crowd was transfixed and the team was ignited with the drive to win.
“We have a lot of guys with experience, and the new guys are picking the game up quickly. Plus, winning our first game really boosted our confidence,” sophomore Aaron Craig said, indicating the value of having more proficient players as well as new ones. This point was made clear Saturday as the new teammates were visibly crucial to the overall win.
Davidson was able to get away with one successful try, but only narrowly, while the bulk of the game was driven by the Quakers. Guilford endured one injury in the first half of the game, as senior Nick Forman suffered a blow to the back and was replaced by sophomore Tom Clement. Clement stepped in and played hard in Forman’s absence, helping to keep up the momentum of the team.
They played an electric game, and the entire event proved the potential of the team to incur many, many more wins. Taking into account the Guilford rugby team’s recent successes, it is fair to say that this season will be an action-packed one for the dynamic team.