At Ole Miss, football may be king, but a growing number of students are finding excitement in sports that do not take place in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Swayze Field or the Sandy and John Black Pavilion.
From hard-hitting rugby to fast-paced hockey, club teams are creating their own spotlights — and inviting the campus community to join them.
Club rugby
While rugby is still an unfamiliar sport to many in Mississippi, the Ole Miss Club Rugby team hopes that the sport’s physical, high-energy style will draw new fans. Students can catch home rugby matches in Oxford at the intramural fields, where the club encourages anyone curious about the game to stop by and cheer on the Rebels.
Co-captain Lane Wilson said rugby is like a faster version of football with no downs.
“Once you understand rugby, it’s like poetry in motion,” Wilson said.
Wilson described the sport of rugby as combining the violent contact of football with the nonstop gameplay of soccer, which Wilson said makes it so thrilling to watch.
The team’s season is just underway, looking to build from the success of last fall when they only lost to one team. The rugby team lost twice to Memphis in low scoring affairs. This year’s team, full of returners from last year, are excited to host a rematch against the Tigers.
“Memphis was highly competitive last year, it was very back-and-forth. … A lot of us are ready to come back and get after Memphis,” Wilson said.
The rematch is set for Oct. 25 in Oxford, and the team is hoping for a strong turn out to boost the intensity. Fans can find the team’s full schedule, as well as play-off updates, on the Ole Miss Rugby Club Instagram page.
Club hockey
After having a successful season last year where they were invited to the national tournament, the Ole Miss club hockey team is building momentum in its new season this fall.
Club Hockey Vice President Josh Millman said the Rebels are excited about their team’s upcoming season.
“I think this year is going to be a great year for us,” Millman said. “We definitely got some good freshmen, but we also didn’t graduate a single person last year.”
That depth and continuity have upped expectations, as the Rebels have moved up a division over the offseason; they will now compete in ACHA Division II. A new division means new, tougher competition, but the team is not worried at all, Millman said.
“I’m excited for this small school from Massachusetts that wants to come down and play us — Bridgewater State University. We also have a lot of different, non-SEC opponents like Louisville and Georgia Tech. It will be fun,” Millman said.
Ole Miss plays its home games at the Mid-South Ice House in Olive Branch, Miss. Despite the distance from Oxford, the team has built a loyal following of Olive Branch locals as well as friends and hockey fans that make the trip. Fans can find schedules and updates on the Ole Miss Hockey Club DII instagram page.
