This year there is a new club at Arapahoe, called the Rugby club. Juniors Connor Shindoll and Jake Novak were the main two contributors to making this a club.

After playing for the Heritage team last year, Connor began talking to other guys at Arapahoe to see if there would be enough interest to make their own team.

“I didn’t want to play with (Heritage) this year so I talked to Jake and decided to try and start a team at Arapahoe,” Junior Connor Shindoll said.

Shindoll has a passion for rugby and he also wanted to play with his friends instead of Heritage kids.

“I went to Mrs. Boatright and asked if I could start a Rugby club, after many discussions she eventually agreed,” Shindoll said, “Me and Jake Novak recruited people and then it all came together.”

It has not been the best season for the Warriors because they have many players new to the sport. With only four guys on the team with previous experience there have been some early learning curves for the team.

“Even though we have had struggles, we are all still learning as a team trying to understand the game more and more,” Junior Chris McCabe said.

The season was an uphill battle and the team finished the season with a 1-7 record. Their lone win came against rival Littleton High School. The first season for this club has been more about the team learning the game and coming together as a team. Which will hopefully lead to a competitive team with lots more wins next year.

“We finished 1-7 but our record does not represent how well we are as a team or how close some of those games have been,” Shindoll said, “We are a brand new team with only four experienced players so it’s hard to do as well as we want or win a bunch (of games).”

After one year of adjusting to the rules and playing together, this Rugby team should be able to compete in the future. This new club is very exciting and is a great opportunity for students to play and learn about the great sport of Rugby.