Before 2016, the last time the sport of rugby was played at the Summer Olympic Games occurred in 1924 in Paris.
The Rio de Janeiro games marked the debut of rugby sevens to the international sports competition.
The six-day tournament resulted in Fiji winning the gold medal on the men’s side and Australia taking home the gold on the women’s side.
All of a sudden, rugby – normally a sport that does not get much publicity in the states – was back in the headlines.
However, before the rugby sevens tournament at these past Olympics, a group of student-athletes at Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene, began cementing their passion for the sport.
The Lions Rugby Football Club was formed last April by William Schell, the head rugby coach and also a STEM teacher at the school. Starting this spring, the team has begun competing against other local schools.
The Lions are members of the Metropolitan Division-III League of Rugby New York. Slowly but surely, the team has been coming into its own on the pitch.
Schell originally was a wrestler at SUNY Oneonta, N.Y., before joining the college’s rugby club. He at first thought about forming a wrestling team in the area but instead tried his hand at rugby. The Loughlin students took an immediate liking to the sport.
Learning the Fundamentals
Last year involved watching film of rugby matches and learning the basic fundamentals. A core group of student-athletes of all four grades levels has now settled in to be ready for competition. The Lions started off with several scrimmages and are now in the bulk of their league schedule.
“The fundamentals are what win the game, so I’m heavy on the fundamentals,” Schell said. “You have to pass, you have to be able to catch, you have to move forward, stay behind the ball, you have to work on some set plays … those are all things that we need.”
Most – if not all – of the student-athletes who joined the program never played rugby before since it’s not exactly a typical activity in this area. While there has certainly been a learning curve – especially with the terminology – the Lions realize that consistency is key for them to excel in the sport.
“It’s coming along pretty great actually, considering that the team is consistently newcomers,” said sophomore forward Tyler Afrifah, who also plays soccer at Loughlin. “I’ve really enjoyed the experience. I like the sport, and I love my team.”
A Work in Progress
“Even though it’s a work in progress, I’d say we’ve come a long way starting from last year,” said sophomore team captain and No. 8 scrum Michael Perez. “We only had a couple of guys, and now we have a full roster.”
Though sometimes viewed as a violent sport, rugby can also teach the values of commitment, camaraderie, sportsmanship and respect for oneself and opponents. The Lions continue to work on the basics each day to constantly improve.
Despite being a new team, Schell said he has high expectations for his squad. Eventually he hopes the team jumps up to Rugby New York’s Division-II, and there has even been some interest in forming a girls’ team in the future.
“I’m really just here as a guide,” Schell said. “Eventually, they’ll be able to take the reigns themselves. I’m just trying to instill some competitive spirit in each one of them.”
Looking at the big picture, this group of student-athletes is enjoying quite the unique high school experience. The feeling of being a founding member of a school sports program has been a thrill for the players.
“It’s a new team and we’re setting a new trend in the school since we’re the founding members,” Perez said. “It’s pretty cool. Once we start this year, people are going to follow us next year.”
The goal someday is for the Lions to hoist a local rugby championship trophy, and with continued commitment, that day will come.
For now though, simply continuing to generate a buzz around the sport in the Brooklyn Diocese is priority No. 1 for the Lions Rugby Football Club.
Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.
