Rugby opens 10 gam*, club schedule Sat. against UNCC
Baker Koppleman
Staff Writer
They walk around aimlessly
with hands clenched around their
heads trying to catch their breath
before the next drill.
Drops of sweat roll down their
tired faces but a look of determi
nation remains fixed in their eyes.
Their coach yells out for them
to begin yet another of many
tiring conditioning drills that
make up a rugby practice but no
one seems to mind.
"We'll be in the best shape of
any team that has ever played at
Guilford," said team captain
senior Kevin Fritzlen.
Conditioning is important to a
Guilford Rugby Club who is
looking to change its image and
have some success this season
while building for the future.
The season begins this Satur
day at 1:00 p.m. when the rug
gers take on UNC-Charlotte on
the Guilford campus in their first
of their ten match schedule.
Guilford competes in the North
Carolina Collegiate Rugby Un
ion League (NCCRU), which
consists of all major colleges and
universities in the state, but this
will mark the second year of
competition in the "A" division,
the highest in the league. Guilford
had replaced UNC-Greensboro
who is on probation for viola
tions of safety and insurance
rules.
"We will play a very tough
schedule with some very big
schools but I believe we can be at
least above .500," said new coach
Jaamy Zarnegar.
Zarnegar, 31, a native of Iran,
currently coaches the Triad Dogs
Men's Rugby Club and comes to
Guilford in a volunteer capacity
after coaching UNC-G for six
ILJ PCOMING SPORTS EVENTS
Men's Basketball:
Feb. 13 H Pfeiffer 8:00
Feb. 17 H Newport News 2:00
Women's Basketball:
Feb. 14 A Pfeiffer 7:00
Feb. 17 A Pembroke State 7:00
10
THE GUILFORDIAN February 12, 1990
years.
Zarnegar represents a maj(
stabilizing change and brings
new attitude to a Guilford rugb}
team which has never had a true
coach in the past.
"We area lot more serious,"
said Fritlen. "There were a lot of
negative attitudes on the team in
the past. It's a lot more fun than
before and I think our team is j ust
as good, but our opponents have
gotten better."
Image is always a problem for
rugby teams because of the vio
lence and drinking associated
with the sport, but the Guilford
club is looking to change this
stereotype.
"If [the Guilford College
community] sawoneofourprac
tices they'd see a structured two
hours. We want to prove our se
riousness."
Academics have also become
more important in portraying a
positive image.
Currently, as a team rule, all
players must have at least a 2.0
grade point average to be eligible
to play, which is a requirement
more stringent than any varsity
team.
"We really stress academics
on the team," said Fritlen.
"People don't take us seriously
but we take the sport and our par
ticipation seriously."
The team is made up of 26
players who Zarnegar said are a
combination of people who never
played sports in high school,
athletes who have defected from
varsity teams, or those whose
varsity eligibility has run out
"The attendance in numbers
has doubled but there is a lot of
inexperience because of the lack
of a full-time coach in the past,"
said Zarnegar. "I've had to teach
the basic tactics of rugby since
practice started."
The team is a young one, with
C PORTS
*
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- ■ • .'.■■• ' ■ ■■'••" ' •...■■
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photo l>y Dave Brown
John Krause squares up against a defender.
only hree seniors, but Zarnegar
said i lat the team is always open
to new players who meet the
acade nic requirements and are
main campus students.
"We 're always taking players,"
said Zarnegar, "and people
shouldn't feel it's too late be
cause they can catch up quickly
on anything they've missed."
Insurance is another require
ment for each player under
NCCRU rules, and referees will
usually check the insurance cards
of each player before a game.
Guilford College also requires
Men's basketball wins 2 in hectic schedule
Scott Genualdi
Sports Editor
The men's basketball team won two games in
three attempts last week. They defeated Roanoke
74-67 on February 3 before they lost to ML Olive
103-85 last Monday. On Tuesday, the Quakers
beat Newport News Apprentice by 9 points, 90-81.
The Quakers played three games in four days
that required traveling time that was more strin
gent than some professional basketball teams play.
The Quakers are now 10-10,2-5 in District 26
play.
The traveling took its toll on the Quakers. They
arrived in Newport News at 2:30 Tuesday morning
and back at Guilford at 2:30 Wednesday morning.
"I made a mistake before the Newport News
game," said coach Jack Jensen. "I asked them if
they were tired, and four of them said 4 yes."'
insurance before any match can
take place on campus.
Actually, playing on campus
is something relatively new to
Guilford rugby team as up until
last year, when they played two
home matches, they had not been
permitted to play on campus.
This year all home contests
will be played at Guilford.
"The dean of students, Nancy
Cable-Wells, gave us her bless
ing and we feel happy and fortu
nate to be able to play on cam
pus," said Zarnegar.
There is no such thing as a
Against the Shipbuilders, the Quakers hung on
for a nine-point victory following a 75-75 tie with
four minutes left. But key foul shots and a high field
goal percentage carried Guilford.
"We shot 60 percent from the field and almost 90
percent from the floor," said Jensen. "If we hadn't
done that, we would have lost."
On Monday, Guilford was not as fortunate. The
Quakers lost their fifth District 26 game.
"I started that game with a box-in-one defense on
their best player, Martin Belemy," said Jensen. "In
his first four shots, he made three 3-pointers. Mt.
Olive scored almost at will.
"They were ahead and playing loose," said Jensen.
"They are an up-and-down team."
Senior point guard David Yancey injured his left
shoulder in the game against Mt. Olive.
"I didn't know he was hurt before [Thursday's]
practice," said Jensen. "It was probably a bruise. He
see BASKETBALL on page 12>~
* varsity rugby team at any school
" but, as a club sport, rugby is fully
recognized by Guilford and thus
gets money from the budget
I which helps to pay for dues and
other expenses.
The team is now stable as it has
ever been since its inception at
Guilford in the mid-1970's and
now they just want to play and
earn the respect of the commu
nity.
"We've got a lot more players
out here than in the past," said
Fritlen, "and now I hope we can
get a lot of people to support us."