After making their return to the national tournament last year, the more than 20 players on Wilmington-area Fear Rugby Club, from newcomers to seasoned athletes, are looking to build on that performance when the team starts its rugby fifteens season.
The club’s goal for fifteens season is to make it to the second round of the national tournament in November, said Nate Nemec, Fear Rugby’s president.
“Last season was the first season in a while we went to nationals. This year, we’d like to go back and advance further than we did [in 2014],” he said. “We were in the top 32 in the nation last year, so that’s neat to think about.”
Nemec said the team includes players from Wales, South Africa and England who grew up playing the sport, along with people with little sports experience.
“We have some people who have never played a team sport in their life and they chose rugby,” he said. “People are always welcome to come out. Just come out with a good attitude. If you don’t know the game, we teach it to you. If you like the game, great, stick around. If you don’t, at least you tried it.”
Nemec, who plays prop — a forward position — discovered rugby as a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Five years ago, after his college graduation, Nemec joined Fear Rugby.
Nemec played football in high school and decided to try club rugby. He said not needing much equipment was one factor that drew him into the sport.
“All I needed was a pair of boots and a mouth guard,” he said.
After a competitive two-month season of rugby sevens — a version of rugby in which seven players from each team play matches of seven-minute halves — the Fear Rugby Club shifts into fifteens season.
Each rugby fifteens match is composed of 40-minute halves and requires 15 players from each team to be on the pitch at a time.
Nemec said the first game of the season is an exhibition match, which won’t count toward the team’s participation in nationals.
“Exhibition matches are to work on some plays and knock some dust off. We have a lot of new guys coming in. That gets them more familiar with the game,” he said. “That will be kicking off the rust after the summer.”
Nemec said his advice to his players for the first match is, “Stick to the fundamentals of our game plan and don’t hold anything back.”
Later in the season, the club will play in matrix matches that count toward the national playoffs. Before nationals, the team will play as far away as Savannah, Ga.
Mike Maurer, who plays 8-man, a forward position, said the club encourages newcomers to join even during the middle of the season.
“We accept anybody with open arms,” he said.
The men’s team practices each Tuesday and Thursday, 6-8 p.m., at Flytrap Downs. The women’s team practices on Mondays and Thursdays.
Fifteens season begins Saturday, Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.
For more information, visit www.fearrugby.com
email [email protected]
