MARQUETTE — NMU men’s rugby team are in the playoffs this year and are ready to make some noise.

The Wildcats rugby team has been around been around for a long time, but this is the third year under head coach Jordan Buss. The team won just a single game in his first two years, but this year, they’ve only lost once.

And after knocking off Illinois State last Saturday in the playoffs, they’ve moved one step closer to winning a rugby championship.

“Well it’s definitely an honor. We’ve always dreamed of making the playoffs and we knew we were going to put in a lot of hard work, a lot of fitness training, discipline, knowledge of the laws of the game because it’s not really a very well-known sport in America yet so we had to put a lot of time and effort and preparation into getting ourselves the way we are right now,” Buss said.

The team practiced this week inside the Superior Dome and they feel like this year’s squad is more focused than it has ever been in a long time.

“I think this season we really focused on working together as a team and less as individuals and coming together with all of our talents. The one thing that everyone can take away from this is no matter what your talent may be, we can find a spot for it on the field. We want you on the team. We don’t make cuts. We have everybody. You might not necessarily play every game, the first game, but you’re part of this team and helping us win and that’s what I think everyone should take away from this season,” Vertel said.

The Wildcats will travel to Cottage Grove, Wisconsin this weekend to take on Lindenwood-Belleville.
Best of luck to them.