Photo By Lance Cpl. Payton Goodrich | U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joseph Guthman, a native of Waxhaw, N.C., and an officer...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.—The U.S. Marine Corps Rugby and British Royal Marine Corps Rugby teams faced off in the 2024 Virginia Gauntlet held on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, from April 17 to April 19, 2024. This annual tournament showcased these elite military athletes' physical strength and endurance. It strengthened the longstanding bond between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Marines. With both teams known for their tenacity and skill on the field, the match promised to be a thrilling display of rugby skill and military pride.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joseph Guthman, a native of Waxhaw, N.C., is an officer selection officer with Recruiting Sub-station San Jose, California, a player for the All Marine Rugby Team, and a leader both on and off the field. His journey with rugby began at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., where he initially pursued swimming but was drawn to the tight-knit team atmosphere and bond of the rugby team.
“I think just the team environment, the brotherhood that every rugby team has, you're bonded by the contact and the physical nature of it,” said Guthman. “It's very similar to how the Marine Corps operates as a whole. You know, you'll always be there for your fellow Marines, and that's how it's also treated on the rugby pitch.”
In the lead-up to the 2024 Virginia Gauntlet, Guthman emphasized the diverse backgrounds and experiences that each member of the All-Marine Rugby Team brought to the field.
“We all come from different backgrounds. Some of us played together in college; some guys on the rugby team have been playing rugby together for the last 15 years,” Guthman remarked.
This diversity of experience proved to be a strength for the team, as they could draw on their leaders' expertise and familiarity with each other to prepare for each match. Guthman relates this to platoon commanders or officers preparing for live fire events.
“We've been training rigorously for this tournament, focusing on our fitness, skills, and team coordination,” shared Guthman. “It comes down to drawing on the expertise of the team leaders to prepare for the next batch that we have, similar to running rehearsals, as platoon commanders or entry officers, you always want to practice the same way you're going to play, and that's what we tried to do.”
Guthman relates the Marine Corps' values to the game of rugby, highlighting the parallels between the two drawing parallels between the core values of the Marine Corps and the game of rugby.
He begins, emphasizing the fundamental principles of the Marine Corps, honor, courage, commitment and directly comparing the physical courage required in rugby, such as going into a tackle head-on, to the courage needed in military service.
“The physical courage that it takes to go into a tackle, to take someone head on, is similar to the commitment to your teammates to your left and right,” Guthman explains, highlighting the shared values that underpin both the Marine Corps and the game of rugby.
"This commitment mirrors the dedication to one's fellow Marines on and off the battlefield, where every team member is relied upon to watch out for each other."
“You are doing the same thing on the Rugby pitch that you're doing on the battlefield, you know, you're looking out for your Marines to your left and right,” Guthman concludes, showing the connection between the values instilled in Marines and the teamwork and mutual support central to the game of rugby.
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2024 09:12 |
| Story ID: | 469845 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | WAXHAW, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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