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Central Washington ‘Chomping at the Bit’

  • 11 Feb 2021
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Central Washington University (CWU) was able to train during the fall, but Covid-19 restrictions prevented the Wildcats from working on their favorite part of the game: contact. But the adherence to Return to Play protocol means the Ellensburg, Wash., program is able to participate in the upcoming DI Elite season. The 15s competition officially kicks off on Feb. 20, and CWU plays its first match on Feb. 27 at home against BYU.

RELATED: DI Elite Spring 2021 Schedule

When the rugby team reported to campus for the 2020-21 schoolyear, there were a ton of new faces in Wildcats kit. The Class of 2024 includes six players from Southern California; two apiece from Northern California, Colorado and New Zealand; and reps from Brazil, Idaho and Pennsylvania.

“The collective coaching staff is immensely proud of the group we brought in and I think it’s the best class we’ve had to date,” said Trevor Richards, who has been CWU head coach since 2018. “The freshmen have added a lot and are pushing their upperclass teammates. You’ll definitely see some freshmen starting this year.”

First-year Abby Fearey (Coastal Dragons, Calif.) is the vice captain – a testament to the talent and maturation of the freshmen – and works alongside team captain Mikayla Roberts, a redshirt junior. Richards also highlighted the athletic Tessa Hann (Arapahoe Warriors, Colo.), back-turned-loose forward Zonaye Tupuola (South Bay Spartans, Calif.), the speedy Sammy Stern (Fallbrook Warriors, Calif.) and Abby Nichols (Idaho Furies) as newcomers who up the excitement quotient.

RELATED: Check out Colleges’ Class of ’25 Recruits

“In the fall, we focused on three main things: run-catch-pass, a lot of theory, and conditioning,” Richards said of the first half of the schoolyear. “We were unable to do contact, so no tackling or the breakdown. You could poach but there was no clearing-out or anything. No scrums or lineouts. So as a coaching staff, we had to be extremely creative in how we implemented concepts and could build skill sets. The good thing is we had no injuries heading into the winter, which is great.”

The fall was a challenge, morale wavered, but the staff was very pleased with how the players handled themselves.

“In any type of high-performance environment, there’s going to be high and low days, and we’re no exception,” Richards said. “But it was great to see the players recognize it and take ownership. In years’ past, coaches had to be the main drivers; it’s the players now. It’s, ‘Captains, get your team together and have a chat,’ and they say what needs to be said. Ultimately as a general mindset goes, it’s nice to have them be the driving force.”

Richards stepped in as interim head coach in fall 2017, and a couple of tough years followed, as players and personnel adjusted to a new environment.

“If we’re being honest, we’re never there. Any coach is always looking to get better and take on new challenges,” Richards said of whether the program is where he wants it. “But all things considered, we are very happy where we’re at right now. We have the right people in the right places. Everyone has bought in and is doing what we’re asking from them. They’re putting it all out there and it’s been cool to see.

“The senior players are saying it’s never been better, and it’s been awesome to see that transition,” the coach added. “Previously, we had a lot of players who couldn’t wait to get off the practice field, and now everyone wants more. That’s what you want as a coach.”

The team started contact practices two weeks ago, and with that comes added precautions likely weekly Covid testing. But it’s a welcomed responsibility if the payoff is an uptick in physicality.

“They’ve been chomping at the bit for it,” Richards said of the players’ desire for contact. “Historically we’ve been a great physical team and don’t necessarily want to lose that edge. But we’ve been holding back a bit, making sure we’re implementing contact intelligently – progression based, technique focused.”


Maryjane Pasioles / Photo: Jackie Finlan (TRB)

The Wildcats play their season-opener at home on Feb. 27 against BYU, the first of two games against the Cougars.

“We want to solidify that physicality we’re known for, but the big one is making sure everyone gets through the game without injuries,” Richards said of goals against BYU. “Certainly without any contact for nearly a year, there is an element of concern.

“But ultimately, we want to see them express themselves,” the coach continued. “We gave them shape and structure to operate in, but we want to see them make decisions on their own and go for it. Mistakes will happen and it won’t be pretty all the time, but we’ve seen what they can do in training and we couldn’t be more excited.”

After the home opener, CWU travels to CRAA DI Grand Canyon University (Phoenix) for a March 6 friendly, and then Provo, Utah, on March 13 for the BYU rematch. Lindenwood University travels to Ellensburg on March 20, and then the regular season ends with a March 27 match against Life University in Marietta, Ga.

“It’s a very tough, hard five weeks, but given everything the world has been through the last year, we’ll take what we can get,” Richards said.


Spencer Boldt / Photo: Jackie Finlan (TRB)

The DI Elite is five teams’ large this year, so a semifinal play-in will be contested on April 10. The semifinals follow on April 17 and the national championship on May 1. The latter two rounds are hosted by the higher seed.

“As a washed-up, old coach, I’ve been preaching to the players that this – rugby – will end at some point, whether life takes over, or it’s an injury, or you graduate and rugby just stops for you,” Richards approached the players’ sense of gratitude. “You won’t appreciate it until it’s gone – which is cliché but true – and Covid illuminated that for people. The lightbulbs started clicking for them: This is a temporary thing so at least let’s make the most of it.

“I’m so proud of them,” Richards closed. “This hasn’t been an easy process and they’ve had a fight on their hands. Doing broncos and conditioning with masks on – that’s something the average person can’t even imagine or know what it feels like. This is their reward: They’re at the highest level of play for this age group. BYU will be a phenomenal first challenge. I hope they have fun and are proud of the product they put on the field.”

For more information, visit Wildcatsports.com.

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