Photo by: Jake Rokeach
After four years of pouring his sweat and blood onto the field, showing endless dedication and a passion for the sport Jarrod Beckstrom is now one of two captains and the Vice President of the men’s club rugby team at DU.
“It is a big commitment, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” said Beckstrom of his leadership position. “In rugby, you really have to lead by example and gain the trust of your team.B My co-captain, Nick Duncan, and I have both been on the team for four years and have played through injury and have stayed committed.”
The DU men’s club rugby team destroyed their first conference opponent with a score of 52-10 during Sunday’s game against Air Force Academy. Prior to Sunday’s game the team had played one preseason game and an intra-squad scrimmage. The rugby team is currently 1-1 overall and 1-0 for conference play.
Out of the 29 club sports at DU, rugby, among a few others, is one of the only sports that is not a varsity sport anywhere in the United States. Therefore, every college rugby team is a club sport and there are different unions, similar to leagues. Denver is in the Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union (ERRFU) and the Collegiate Men’s Division II, along with University of Northern Colorado, Colorado College, Regis University and the Air Force Academy.
“We are trying to get to the national championship this year, but to get there we have to win in ERRFU, then go to regionals and then nationals, which is in the spring,” said Beckstrom of the team’s goals for this season. The last time DU made it to nationals was about 35 years ago. The team hopes to host playoffs at DU this year.
“We have two training sessions a week, conditioning once a week and matches on the weekends,” said Beckstrom. The rugby team practices on the Peter Barton Lacrosse Field and plays its home games there as well.
“This season we are looking very strong and have lots of depth in different positions,” said Beckstrom. “There are a lot of new faces, a lot of new talent too.”
This year there are about 30 active players. Captain, Beckstrom plays the position scrum half.
“It’s sort of like the quarterback in the sense that the scrum halves direct play and make decisions,” said Beckstrom. “I have to dig the ball out of about five or six guys who are basically trying to drive each other off of the ball.”
The DU rugby team doesn’t end with just the players. A group called the Rugger Huggers helps organize things for the team.
“They help us out in the same capacity a team manager(s) would. Dani Yarwood and McCall Hocking are our managers this year,” said Beckstrom.
DU rugby is one of the more well-known and actively participated in club sports on campus.
“I would say that the people who play DU rugby are some of the most dedicated and spirited of club sports,” said Beckstrom. “We play for each other and, as strange as it sounds to say, we develop a really close bond after the beating we go through on the field.”
The DU club men’s rugby team plays this Friday at home in Barton stadium at 8 p.m. against Colorado College.
“It’s going to be a really fun game to watch and CC always has a few hundred fans out to their games that taunt us pretty badly,” said Beckstrom.
On Friday, Oct. 12, the team plays University of Northern Colorado at 8 p.m. also at Barton.
This Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Gottesfeld room at the Richie Center the rugby team is auctioning off players for their fundraiser.
“You can basically do what you will with them.B Make them mow the lawn, fan you with palm fronds, cook you dinner, whatever you want done,” said Beckstrom of what happens if you win a player at the auction.
For more information about DU club men’s rugby, check out their website at www.durugby.org.
