Michigan State men’s club rugby practice just ended, and the aftermath is quite the scene. Players have scraped knees, disgustingly-colored bruises, taped-up fingers, and ice bags strapped to their shoulders.
Usually these injuries, along with an up-and-down season, could lead to player burnout.
Instead, these MSU players are happy.
The sport is known for its physicality, but’s also defined by how the players rebound from these injuries. MSU’s club athletes do just that, but without financial incentives, deals, or scholarships given to varsity players. What holds them together is simple: each other.
“Injuries are a huge part of the game,” says senior Fisher Nowick, a supply chain management major. “I consistently do physical therapy, stretch, and preventative workouts. You really have to listen to your body and understand when is the right time to push your limits.”
For Nowick, those limits came fast. He’s dealt with major reconstructive shoulder surgery, two broken and dislocated fingers, and concussions. This didn’t break him though, it shaped him from the moment he started playing Rugby in England at age seven.
“That’s where my love for the sport began,” he says. After moving back to the United States, he continued to play throughout high school and still coaches every summer.
But everything changed during his sophomore year at MSU. He needed surgery for his left shoulder, which forced him to make a hard decision.
“It was extremely difficult to step away from the gym and from playing, since those were my main outlets for stress and sources of joy,” Nowick says.
Eventually, he chose to medically retire from playing rugby, but he still coaches.
“While I no longer experience the glory of being on the pitch on match days, I’ve found just as much fulfillment in passing on my knowledge to the younger guys,” he says.
The theme of finding purpose through pain runs through the entire roster.
Adam Harake, a sophomore computer science major, learned of risks early on. In his first season, he broke his hip, sidelining him for five months. He then tore his labrum in his left shoulder. Regardless, he stayed.
“Injuries in a sport like rugby are very common,” he says. “If it’s something small like a bruise, I play through it. If it’s more serious, I go to our athletic trainers to get evaluated so I know whether to push through or go to physical therapy.”
Harake started in volleyball before a friend pushed him to expand his horizons. He hated rugby at first, but now it’s his home.
“I love the violence, the intensity, and the challenge of pushing past my limits,” he says. “Most of all, I love my team. The field feels like home, and the team feels like family.
“We don’t play for scholarships or the glory of the big screen; we play for the love of the game and our brothers on our shoulders.”
It’s simple for Harake; “I give everything I have not just for myself but for them.”
Camden Nowick, a senior communication leadership and strategy major and Fisher’s twin brother, agrees.
Like Fisher, Camden’s rugby career has been marred with injuries. He tore his labrum in his right shoulder and severely separated his AC joint in his left, which forced him to medically retire.
But also he didn’t leave.
“I still coach and act as a practice player,” he says. “After more than a decade, my passion for the game is still strong. Injury is worth it… until it affects your everyday life.”
Camden, like many teammates, credits athletic trainer Alex Dailey for helping him recover. He stretches incessantly and does extensive band work to stabilize his shoulders.
“You realize you’re not invincible,” he says. “You need to carve out time for school, rugby, lifting, and recovery. Rehab becomes non-negotiable.”
The team’s president, junior political science major Brandon Bulles, says health goes beyond weights.
“Yoga keeps me stable,” he says. “I practice twice a week. It keeps my body and mind healthy.”
Bulles’ discovered rugby almost by accident after being cut from his high school baseball team. One day he saw kids playing rugby, joined them, and never left. Now, the sports beauty in its brutality has built Bulles into a team leader.
“We play simply for the love of the game,” Bulles says. “Rugby is a ‘hooligans game, played by gentlemen.’ It’s about friendships, discipline, and work ethic.”
Even with the torn labrums, separated joints, broken fingers, and more, the players say it’s worth it.
“Only because I love it,” Bulles says. “Practicing with my best friends is something I look forward to every day.”