Photo By 1st Sgt. Daryl Madrid | Rugby is alive and well here at GTMO, as players practice to stay in shape, April 4,...... read more read more
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U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – When most people think of rugby, they think of large burly Englishmen grappling for an oversized ball, covered in sweat and blood, running up and down the field tackling each other. While that may be true in some instances, here on Guantanamo there are a few brave men who take time out their busy schedules to practice the sport they all love, rugby.
“It used be that rugby was an unlimited number of men on a field, so that pretty much turned into a melee of just massive amounts of bodies killing each other. Since then, rules have been adapted where its 15 vs. 15 on a field that is 120 meters by 80 meters,” said Shayne Oldfield, the GTMO rugby coach.
The traditional game of rugby is played with two 40 minute halves with a 10 minute break in the middle. The sport is played in any and all weather conditions. Points are made by advancing the ball down the field to the goal line. The ball cannot travel forward off a player’s hand, which means no forward passes. The two ways you can advance the ball is kicking or carrying the ball forward. Passes have to be either lateral or backwards.
“It is a very, very tiring workout, especially if you play the different styles of rugby. What we play here on GTMO is rugby sevens. It is a very fast paced style with a lot of running. You have to be very fit to be able to do it, and it’s a lot of cardio, but it’s a great work out if you decide to come out and play,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Hans Brown with the JMG.
The local GTMO rugby team meets each Thursday at 7 p.m., on the small ball field behind G.J. Denich Gym, for a grueling hour and a half practice session. There are sprint drills, passing drills and movement drills that get the heart pumping and the blood flowing, overseen by a dedicated coach.
“I have been involved with rugby since 1995; this will be my seventh team. I started in Spokane, Washington, where I played on an Air Force team,” Oldfield said. “This is my 3rd year of coaching; it’s great to be at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba coaching rugby.”
And for the Max Performance folks on GTMO looking for something a little different in their exercise routines, try the fast passed new game of rugby called ‘Sevens.’
“The new, faster sport is seven-style, which is what I coach here. It is seven vs. seven on a field, two seven minute halves and a three minute half time break. So, the game is fairly quick; however it breaks down to about 15 minutes of 100 meter sprints,” Oldfield said.
So drag yourself out of your room and join Oldfield and the rest of the GTMO rugby team each week and beat yourselves into shape. You may find a new sport to love and enjoy for years.
“Most people would say it’s a barbaric sport, but we like to say it is a barbaric sport played by gentlemen,” Brown said.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2015 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 160240 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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