Bulls rugby returns 16 from 5-10-1 campaign

With the season's first game fast approaching, the Bulls rugby team is excited and confident about the upcoming year.

The Bulls open up their season Saturday against Colorado State in Manhattan, Kan.

Led by head coach Bill Sexton and junior team captain Aaron Loida, the Bulls, who are coming off of a 5-10-1 season, are looking to establish themselves as a contender in a tough division consisting of the University of Oklahoma, University of Nebraska, Oklahoma State University, Kansas University and Kansas State University.

Sexton said he is excited about the young group of guys he has coming in.

"I'll tell you this," Sexton said. "I have 16 guys coming back, which means we have a young team. We are looking to rebuild with a great group of talented and exciting younger guys, some of whom I am looking at to have an immediate impact on the team.

"We have several guys [who] played ball in high school and are coming to us as seasoned, skillful players. It's not every day you get a 6-foot-5, 300-pound, ex-offensive lineman or an ex-high school sprinter/wrestling star or a freshman rugby player from South Africa to come in and play for you."

In a conference consisting of all Big 12 teams, Sexton says he is setting the bar high. He not only plans to have a winning record, but also is looking at the postseason as a possibility.

"In our conference, of course Oklahoma is going to be tough," Sexton said. "But other than them, I think we can handle just about everyone else. I am looking for us to go 4-1 and make it to the next level of competition, that being the playoffs."

Junior captain Aaron Loida has similar high expectations for the team this year.

"Our goal is to get a good rhythm going early against this Colorado State team, who has played more games and looks very fit," Loida said.

"We want to be competitive, and I know if we play to our full potential, only one or two teams will give us serious problems."

A major point of emphasis this year is the big improvements made off the field.

"In the offseason there was just an overwhelming positive vibe," Loida said. "This is the best team I've ever played on, especially since we have become so much more mentally prepared since last spring."

A big part of these positive improvements comes in the form of incoming young talent.

"David McDunah is one of the more experienced players," Loida said. "Even though he is a freshman, he has played a lot in high school and should make a big impact on the team early on."

Loida said that, this year, the team's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses.

"Our quickness and speed is by far our biggest strength," Loida said. "We have a lot of speed all over the field."

Loida said that if there is a weakness for the Bulls this year, it is the team's lack of experience playing together.

"That lack of play time, if we aren't careful, could play a part in the outcomes of our games," Loida said.

Although the young talent has been a pleasant surprise thus far, there are also some returning impact players, such as senior Paul Edgerly.

"I would say the leadership of the older guys has been a big strength," Edgerly said. "Loida does a great job keeping the practices organized. One of the biggest improvements this year has been our overall seriousness at practice, and I think that the young guys really feed off of that energy."

With their first game only a few days away, Sexton said he is confident the Bulls' work in practice has prepared the team well.

"In the offseason we like to go back to the basics," Sexton said. "Not only does that help the young guys get a feel for the game, but it also helps the older guys shake the rust off. It takes a while to develop skills, but I have seen great improvements in not only the young guys, but in the older guys too."

Loida, for one, is setting his expectations high for this year.

"4-1 would be a good way to start it off, and maybe I'm shooting for the stars, but 5-0 sounds about right," Loida said.