With a good group of incoming freshmen recruits and a solid recruiting plan rugby coach Frank Graziano said he expects great things from the rugby team this season.

“I would say our probably best recruiting class in the last 10-12 years was probably the 2005 recruiting class, and this recruiting class I anticipate that it is going to be close to that recruiting class,” Graziano said.

He said the three game series against Quinnipiac University will be the highlight of the rugby team’s schedule. This will be Quinnipiac’s first year playing rugby, and it will be coached by Becky Carlson, a former player and assistant coach to Graziano.

Graziano said this represents stepping into a new era because now there is another NCAA Division I team in the conference.

“Now we have the opportunity to take the next step in the evolution of the sport,” he said. “It has taken us 10 years to get to the point where we now have another NCAA Division I program to compete with.”

He said their focus will be on the Quinnipiac games, because even though they are a new team they will likely be using the same strategy and plays. The question is how will the Panthers do at reacting to the plays before they happen and will Quinnipiac be able to counter Eastern’s plays.

Graziano said he would like to get the roster up to 18 to 20 players, right now he has 11 returning players and 5 to 6 incoming freshman. He is still working on recruiting and is in the process of recruiting two more players, with walk-on tryouts the first week of practice.

He said he has penciled in the incoming freshmen players for a position based on their athletic ability, but it may be necessary to make adjustments and move players around during the first few weeks of practice.

Marcus Smith can be reached at 581-7942 or masmith6@eiu.edu

Emily Harrison a senior flanker tries to stop Michigan players as they push down the field Oct. 10, at Lakeside Field. Eastern defeated Michigan 53-15. (File Photo

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