Led by sophomore Dan Compitiello, students are attempting to put together a competitive men’s rugby club which will hopefully become a competing team.

At ENC’s club fair, 25 students signed up to join the rugby club.

There are three types of ways to play rugby, but the team that Compitiello is starting would play Rugby Sevens. This means that seven people play on a team instead of 15, the usual amount of players. There are also two seven-minute halves, so the games go by faster.

Rugby Sevens is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, especially on the collegiate level. This type of rugby is more open and offers big breakaways and big hits, which encourages people to play and watch the sport.

Compitiello has been playing rugby since his junior year of high school, and his father played in college, so he was excited to have the opportunity to start a club.

The new club is open to anyone male who wants to play.  The club is hoping to start around the end of October and will be practicing, training, and scrimmaging for a full semester.  This offers a chance for the more experienced players to help teach the game to the newer players.

Junior Monte Weaver is looking forward to learning the game.

“Rugby has always seemed like a very interesting and exciting sport.  I am enthusiastic to learn from guys like Dan and Will about the game, and being able to try something new,” Weaver commented.

The team hopes to begin to play competitive games by the spring against other schools in Boston who already have rugby teams, such as Boston University, Northeastern, and other experienced club teams.

One of the biggest misconceptions about rugby is that the sport itself is dangerous.

“Rugby has [fewer] concussions than football and hockey, even without the pads and the helmets.  Once everyone learns how to hit, the sport is very fun, exciting, and not that dangerous at all,” Compitiello said.

Compitiello wants to use this club to not only teach people the game of rugby, but also to increase comradery and brotherhood through a sport he loves.

The club hopes to get all of the paperwork done in the next few weeks and gain full approval from SGA. If everything goes as planned, the club will become a team and can start competing in fall 2015.