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A success story in the making, the San Luis Obispo Rugby Club just won its first divisional title in 20 years.
The SLO men's team beat Belmont Shore in Long Beach on April 22 to win the Southern California Rugby Football Union Division II championship and clinch an invitation to a national tournament in Las Vegas.
It's only the eighth time that the SLO Rugby Club has won a division title since its inception in 1975. First-year coach Henry Lee-Saunders told New Times that the team clicked on and off the field this year, resulting in a 9-1 season and many dominant performances.
"You can really see it this year on the field," Lee-Saunders said. "Everyone is really playing for each other, fighting for each other. If they're tired and their legs are burning, they'll fight through it because there are guys who would do the same for them."
The club will try to keep its storybook season alive in Las Vegas on May 12 and 13 for the first round of the USA Rugby Super Regionals. If the team can win two games there, it will advance to the national championship in St. Louis, Missouri, in June.
As SLO County's only adult rugby club, the team attracts locals from diverse backgrounds. Players range from 19 to 40 years old and come to the team with varying levels of rugby experience.
"As far as ability, we've got guys who've been playing the past 20 years, as well as guys where it's their first year. Every age and ability is welcome," Lee-Saunders said. "From my experience, it's been individuals coming together to form a larger unit."
This year's team saw record turnout in terms of players willing to attend trainings and game days, which has bred a healthy competition for playing time in games, the coach said. He added that the spirit of the team is completely supportive and synergistic.
Erik Madsen, the club's captain, said that the team's overall positive energy and mindset helped it carry momentum from last season into this year's championship.
"We've got a big team group chat where we're messaging and joking most days, and so it's kind of a really big group of friends," Madsen said. "I've been around other teams where they show up to practices, show up to games, sometimes one or the other. But a lot of these guys go to dinners together, they go out after practices, and so there's a really good team connection that I think translates onto the field."
The SLO Rugby Club is asking for the community's support to help it continue its successful run. As tournament costs mount, the team is welcoming tax-deductible donations at slorugby.org.
While the men's team has the spotlight, the women's rugby team is also coming off a successful season—winning second place in the Southern California playoffs. Player Morgan Moulis told New Times that it was an amazing result, considering that the women's side underwent an extensive rebuild after COVID-19 shut down the league.
"It felt really good because we literally built our team up again this year, and we really built it up from the ground up," Moulis said. "A lot of the players who came out this year were rookies and were just learning the game. So it was really impressive to see the hard work we put in get us so far with so little experience and not playing for a couple years."
Moulis added that the close bond between the men's and women's teams contributes to the club's overall success.
"What's really special about our rugby community is that the men's team is really involved with the women's team and vice versa. We do sports days outside of practice, or hang out and have game nights, and I think that's huge for team success on the field too," she said.
The SLO Rugby Club is still looking for new players, as well as a coach for the women's team. If interested, contact the club at slorugby.org.
• The SLO Food Bank's largest annual community event and fundraiser, Hunger Awareness Day, will take place on June 2. Established in 2007, this countywide event educates and activates SLO County residents about the life-changing impact of community engagement to alleviate hunger. For details, visit slofoodbank.org.
• In honor of National Chip Your Pet Month, Woods Humane Society will be hosting six free microchip clinic events in May to help members of the public protect their pets. The free clinics will be held on Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo location and Friday, May 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Woods North County location. Visit woodshumanesociety.org for more info. Δ
Correction: This article was updated on May 15 to correct the number of division titles the SLO Rugby Club has won. The photo caption was updated to describe the correct match.
New Times internr Thomas Rodda wrote this week's Strokes. Reach him at [email protected]. Assistant Editor Peter Johnson contributed.