Members of the Memphis Blues Rugby Club are recruiting University of Memphis students to revive the Memphis rugby tradition.
The club has begun recruiting students to form a team to play in an under-23 rugby league.
The University of Memphis has not had a rugby team since 1998 when The University of Memphis team and the Old No. 7 team combined to form one team.
"Memphis used to have three or four different teams about six years ago, but they slowly faded away," said Chris Claude, president of the Memphis Blues Rugby Club. "When the University of Memphis team and the Old No. 7 team merged to form one super rugby team, they eventually just stopped recruiting from the college side," he said.
Claude added that the Memphis Blues Rugby Club hopes to start a developmental squad where the team can play other colleges and independent teams like Middle Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University, Arkansas State University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
He said there are two main challenges in starting the team. First, getting more people excited about the sport. The team needs a core of about five players to keep them going, he explained. The other challenge is insurance and dues.
Dues are $50 in an under-23 league. This covers a Certificate of Individual Participation Program registration and the costs for referees.
"All these guys who played competitive sports when they were younger, it gives them a different physical sport," Claude said.
One University of Memphis student agreed. "I played football in high school and just missed the contact of football and having teammates around you," said Miles Basehart, senior, integrative studies major.
"I just started about three weeks ago and I love it. All the people that play are cool and the sport is great," he said.
"You do not have to be from an athletic background to play though," Claude said. "I've seen guys from athletic and non-athletic backgrounds come out and play. You just needheart."
"Most people's excuse for not playing is they don't know the rules," Michael Fitch, sophomore criminal justice major and avid rugby player said. "Nobody knows the rules. It allcomes together once you play your first game," Fitch said.
Fitch has been playing rugby for three years. "It's fun and it keeps you in shape. Come out and try it. You never know if you'll like it or not," he said.
For more information call Chris Claude at 386-0985. Open practices are held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at Tobey Park.
