By Halley Taylor
With the new season up and going, Louisville rugby is ready to orchestrate their best season yet.
While rugby is a club sport, it is still as important as any other athletic team at the university. Louisville is defending their first-ever national championship in spring sevens, and will look to continue a recent string of dominance.
“The part I’m looking forward to the most for this upcoming season is getting back out [on] the field with my team and defending our national championship” says star-junior Liam Johnson. “The connections amongst the team are super strong. Rugby is a very team-oriented sport, and in order to have success, everyone on the field needs to be on the same page.”
That team-oriented approach has been fostered over years by co-head coaches Emil Walton and Cameron Bernard, who have steadily built Louisville into one of the powerhouses of collegiate rugby.
This steady incline has included several undefeated regular seasons and multiple national championship appearances in fall XVs.
That meteoric rise has come with a swagger from the top down, creating an atmosphere that can break opponents.
Johnson states “I think the atmosphere of rugby brings a great balance between healthy competition and team camaraderie.”
Rugby is off to a great start this season. Currently remaining undefeated on the season at 2-0. With their most recent victory in Fighting Irish Qualifier, Louisville has already locked up a spot in the Collegiate Rugby Championship Nationals tournament.
The Cards’ next event will be the Boilermaker sevens hosted by Purdue on Apr. 6.
Photo Courtesy // Louisville Club Rugby
