The White Falcon - 28.03.1997, Page 8

Rugged rugby here to stay for residents
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Members of the NATO Base Rugby Team get their first taste of the
game against a team from the visiting British warship, HMS
Gloucester, last May at the Flightline Field.
Stoiy and photo by J02 Brian R. Ellis
Browsing through your television channels might give you a
glimpse of what’s happening closer to home than you might
think. Rugby, often shown on television, is also being played by
a NATO Base team.
According to “Duke” Proctor, rugby team treasurer and play-
er, the group gets together at 3 in the afternoon every Saturday
at the High School Gym. “As soon as we can get a field to play
on and better weather, we’re going to try to get in two practices
a week, possibly three,” Proctor explained. “Right now, we’re
limited in what we can do because of the size of the gym and
the fact that rugby is really a sport which requires a lot of space.
We need about the same amount of space as a soccer field.”
The game of rugby is played with 14 or 15 people per team.
Play is continuous. Teams work together to make a goal, or
“try,” as it’s called, to score points. Each try counts as five
points, and running past the other team’s goal line scores them.
“Right now, the team is practicing some of our plays, ball
handling and basic rugby techniques,” said Proctor. Once the
weather begins to warm, Proctor anticipates the team getting
together more often to perfect these techniques. He mentioned
that last year when the organization began, people met every
Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. “We’ll probably do
something like that again. It just depends on what days are
best for the majority of players.”
The team is currently made up of members of the NATO
Base community. “Everyone is invited to play,” he exclaimed.
But be prepared. Proctor admits that the game is probably
more demanding than most American sports. But as far as con-
tact goes, there are only a couple of places in the game where
it’s officially allowed. Mainly, it’s a passing game. “If you’re
good at rugby, you never have the ball.”
Learning more about the game isn’t too difficult, according to
Proctor. He said the hardest part of rugby is trying to forget
that you’re not playing American football. “You have to learn
to run north and south vice east and west,” he said. “There’s a
lot of passing, but you always run forward regardless.”
The rugby team has 30 members on their roster but are
always looking for more. They also try to keep busy by arrang-
ing matches with other teams.
“We’re working on a match in Scotland. A couple of our
players went to school near the College of William and Mary,
so we’re trying to get together with a couple of clubs there,
too,” he said. “You see, one of the best parts of rugby is the
social aspect of it. If you ask a club to set up a match, they’ll
play you. It’s a very social
game, compared to most
American sports.”
The best reason for
learning and playing rugby
is this socialization and
camaraderie commented
Proctor. “Rugby lets peo-
ple be in more of a club
than a team. It’s a very
competitive sport, but the
game doesn’t promote
harsh feelings between the
teams. And, of course, it’s
just an awesome game.”

not currently certified, there’s a program
closed from Monday - April 4 for the instal- Base pool hours extend. The base swim-
lation. ming pool’s hours are: lapswiming on
Monday - Friday from 5:30 - 7:30 a.m.,
Aqua Aerobics begins. Class meets open swimming on Monday - Friday from
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:30 ll a.m. -1:30 p.m. and 3:30 - 9:30 p.m. The
- 8:30 a.m. in the base pool. Active-duty
holidays from 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
There’s also a class on Saturday and
Sunday from 9 -10 a.m. that will cost $1.50
for everyone. •
Aerobics instructors wanted. The gym is
looking for a step/floor instructor. If you’re
at ext. 6498.
Courtesy of the Base Gym
Youth league
high rollers
March IS
Pee-Wee Division
James Smith -128
Angelica Vasquez -110
Juniors Division
Michael Goltz -168
Shannon Tiboni-168
Seniors Division
Colter Pearson - 212
Anna Freeman -151
March 22
Pee-Wee Division
Joshua Kratz-119
Cora Jefferies -125
Juniors Division
Tyler Bradley -188
Courtney Pearson-161
Seniors Division
Colter Pearson - 235
Jennifer Edwards -160
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