It must be very difficult for someone who has never played in a rugby match to understand quite what the game is all about. That is why Rob Ebert's April 12 article. "Blood, sweat and beers," describing his experience of a day of rugby both amused and frustrated me. For example, his first observation was that the spectators were drinking. Is it so difficult to believe, or even newsworthy for that matter, that spectators would drink beer at a sporting event? When one walks into the Bradley Center for a basketball game, is he surprised to find that beer is being sold? I would tend to doubt it.

However, my real point is not to argue about what rugby is or is not. Instead, I believe that Ebert's assignment was to do a story on the Marquette men's rugby team. The only informative parts of the article were the blasé mention of the scores and the caption under the picture. Considering that the team practices no less than three times per week with games every Saturday, I cannot convince myself that "the score is secondary to the festivities." These gentlemen are dedicated athletes. It is true that after the games, a social is held; however, this is an opportunity to act as ambassadors for Marquette and extend a hand of camaraderie. Furthermore, the men's rugby team has dropped the "Warrior's" moniker in order to comply with the university's wishes.

Anyone who has been around this team for the past several years knows that it has come a very long way from the Chris Farley stereotype. Last fall the team went to the state playoffs, but unfortunately lost to the eventual champions UW-Madison. This season looks very exciting for these gentlemen as more of the young players come into their own and the seniors leave behind their legacy. Please come to a game to experience rugby for yourself and support the Marquette men's rugby team.

Renee Bordeaux is a senior biomedical sciences major.

This viewpoint appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 21 2005.