M. rugby: New coach, new attitude
By William Kim
Jan. 20, 2005 9:00 p.m.
When the going gets tough, apparently the coach gets up and
quits.
Last year, former coach of the men’s rugby team Jake Pike
had enough.
A tumultuous season and getting smashed 72-3 by Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo was too much to bear, and influenced Pike in his
decision to resign and pursue an alternative career choice midway
through last season.
“We kind of saw it coming; it was harder for him to get to
practice in the few weeks before he resigned,” senior Zack
Atkins said. “The writing was kind of on the wall.”
“It was hard for him and hard for us, and we were left
without any direction.”
Enter current coach Scott Stewart, who has an NCAA championship
on his resume and the drive to lead the Bruins in a different
direction from years past.
“I honestly believe Scott is the best coach in America
right now, if not absolutely the most intense,” Atkins said.
“Stewart brings an international background to UCLA and
improvement to the program.”
With Stewart at the helm and a full season to work with his
players, along with the four international players he recruited,
the attitude of the Bruins has changed drastically.
That change will finally be put to the test this Saturday when
UCLA reunites with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on UCLA’s North
Athletic Field at 1 p.m.
The Bruins will take on a Mustangs team that is currently ranked
No. 2 in the nation and was a finalist in the national championship
game last season.
“We’d like to beat Cal Poly and show them a lot can
change in one year,” Atkins said.
“I think we have the talent and potential to beat them.
Everybody but the rookies remember (last season) and it’s
only going to make us play better. It was a really embarrassing
feeling last season.”
“In a sense, we could give up on the rest of the year if
we lose this game,” teammate Sam Shahidi added.
But in the grand scheme, this season has been tagged as a
transition year for the rugby team.
Stewart tells his players that though they aren’t Division
I athletes, he wants them to be known as the hardest-working team
at UCLA.
With Stewart’s vision, the rugby team has taken its first
step in gaining recognition once again at UCLA, and a victory on
Saturday could be the defining moment in the Bruins’
season.
Whereas a win would give the Bruins an opportunity to place
themselves in a position to qualify for nationals, a loss would
crush any hopes for a title run.
The Bruins are hoping for the former.
