Muscatine has not had a rugby interest in roughly twenty years, until now as just this year a team has been started up. Rugby can either be played in 15s or 7s, as in 15 vs.15 and 7 vs. 7. Since Muscatine’s team is only currently composed of ten people, they participate in 7s.
According to USA Rugby, Rugby 101, in sevens, each team has seven players with two fourteen-minute halves. The goal of the game is to get to the other side of the field and touch the ball to the ground in the endzone for five points. You cannot pass the ball forward and must pass the ball sideways or backwards to advance.
According to one of the players, senior at MHS, Max Boeka, “I heard about rugby from Neco Arceo and Drew Kurriger. For the first season, we haven’t done great, I’m pretty sure we are 2 and 8 right now.”
Their record doesn’t reflect the work they have put in throughout the season. They have competed well against many of the teams, especially for all of the players not have prior experience in the sport.
“Our goals are to learn the sport better and bring interest back into 
Muscatine, it actually used to be a big thing like 20 years ago,” shared Max Boeka. 
Rugby has been on the rise across the country over the past few years, compared to the last after gaining through some turmoil from the Olympics. Many schools have started up some teams, including MHS.
Rugby is a more dangerous sport than others, so gaining interest can be more of a struggle. Many multi-sport athletes opt out due to the fear of injuries that could interfere with other sports.
The team has run into a few issues with their first season, as with any first-time activity. They struggled with funding and supplies to run. They were only able to obtain one goalpost needed for the rugby game, making them unable to host a home game. Many of the players also participate in soccer or other activities, so rugby practice is later in the evening to avoid such things.
The rugby team has thrown together a good season despite issues, and hopefully, a start to many more. Information about the rugby team can be found online. Past games are available on the Muscatine Rugby Club on Facebook, as well as the schedule for watching away games.