"Do you have any suggestions for a split lip?" That was the first thing anybody at the men's club rugby practice said to me as I was observing. Needless to say, it would prove to be an interesting experience.
The men's rugby teams are one of those anomalies of Virginia Tech.
Many people know of them. Some know players on the team. Yet, outside of the inner circle, not many know much about the team, or for that matter, the sport.
After watching them for a while it dawns on you; it really isn't that different from any other sport. Sure, they've got funny names for positions like "scrumhalf" and "hooker," and they play with something that's sort of like a football, on something that's sort of like a football field, but it's not football. But it is just as entertaining.
Rugby captain and loose forward Lee Doyle said that in recent years, the team has seen an increase in interest among students.
"Currently, we have about 35 new guys -- rookies -- come out this year," Doyle said. "For the most part, a lot of these guys have never played before, even myself (in the beginning)."
With such a large number of new players coming out, Tech has become the only school in the country that fields both a division one and division three team.
One of the strengths of the team is its overall quickness.
"We have a lot of speed, a lot of speed, and our pack is very athletic compared to a lot of teams," Doyle said. "We use speed to our advantage. We may not be the biggest pack out there, but we use it to our advantage."
Though the sport may seem a bit foreign to most students, the philosophy is something they should feel quite comfortable with.
Sophomore scrumhalf Ryan Dill and junior slyhalf Grant Furnary are two players who are looking to add speed to the team and aim to make an impact this year for the Hokies. Furnary is one of the more experienced players, after playing through high school and being a member of the U.S. under-18 team.
Coming into the season, the team had a number of question marks because of injuries to key players. Fortunately for them, a lot of the injured players are coming back from injury -- with those comebacks come expectations.
"We still have about 40 vets that are here," Doyle said. "A lot of those guys that got injured are coming back -- a lot of those guys were starters -- so they've taken those roles back and it's going to be a phenomenal year for us."
Injuries are one area that separates the club sports from the scholarship sports.
"These guys come out here because they love it," Doyle said. "(But if) these guys get injured, they've got to take care of it for themselves. They don't have a whole squad of people rehabbing them and getting them back into shape."
While the lack of a medical staff is a drawback of being a club sport, the love is what makes it great.
"We're fun to watch," Doyle said. "A lot of people say, 'Oh, I don't understand rugby,' but if you came out here and watched the game I think you'd have a lot of fun."
The team plays on Saturdays at 1 p.m. on the club recreation fields off Tech Center Drive past Parking Services building.