Last year, Georgetown Prep’s rugby team ended their season ranked sixth in the country, an impressive statistic, but Prep players and coaches hope to finish this season ranked even higher. They have strengthened their already competitive schedule, playing in a conference of top ranked teams including Rye from New York, Saint Ignatius from Ohio, Staples from Connecticut, and rival Gonzaga. To take their game to the next level, the team began their practices in November, performing grueling sprints, high intensity weightlifting, technical drills, and competitive scrimmages. The week before the team’s first game, players attended a two day rugby mini-camp for four hours each to showcase their abilities with hopes of cementing a spot on one of Prep’s three rugby teams: Varsity I, Varsity II, or Junior Varsity.

The first and long awaited matches of the season took place on home turf against Calvert Hall and St. John’s in February. The Varsity I squad played Calvert Hall’s Varsity, Junior Varsity played Calvert Hall’s Junior Varsity, and Varsity II played St. John’s Varsity. Prep’s teams dominated in these matchups, winning all three games. However, the tough battles had yet to come. On March 2, all three of Prep’s squads played against Saint Ignatius’s corresponding teams, a school ranked fourth in the country for rugby. Prep lost all three of its matches against them, revealing that there is major room for improvement.[[]]

After breaking down film of the games, the team is addressing its weaknesses and preparing for the remainder of its tough matchups. Whether or not the team can implement these changes quick enough to ensure victories in upcoming games is unclear; the only way to find out is to watch a game yourself. However, one thing is certain: Prep will always bring its utmost effort. This will come in the form of making big hits, hawking players down, and recreating madden truck stick animations. Prep might not have the most skill in its conference this year, but it definitely has the most heart.