Image above courtesy of National Collegiate Rugby.
Joey Squirlock wanted to join the club rugby team at the University of Tennessee when he first arrived on campus as a freshman in 2022. He played the sport in high school in Maryland and wasn’t ready to give it up because it brought him so much joy.
But Squirlock was worried about whether he could balance the academic load required of being an engineering major at UT with the obligations of being a rugby player. His first practice with the team alleviated his concern.
“I thought it doesn’t really make sense for a lot of engineers to be on the team. But then I got on the team and saw, ‘you’re an engineer, you’re an engineer, you’re an engineer.’ I was shocked,” Squirlock said. “I realized if they could figure out how to make it work, I could figure it out as well if I stayed on task and managed my time well.”
Squirlock and his fellow engineering Vols reaped the ultimate reward for their dedication by being crowned national champions.
No. 1-ranked Tennessee (12-0) completed its best season in the program’s 55-year history, capturing the National Collegiate Rugby Division I-AA title with a 21-15 win over Bowling Green in the championship game on December 13, at SaberCats Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The team included 18 students from the Tickle College of Engineering, spanning nearly all departments and grade levels.
“Winning the title was incredibly rewarding. To see all of our hard work and dedication pay off was really special,” said Niko Zaharas, a sophomore biomedical engineering major. “It’s a great feeling to win a championship for the seniors, graduates, old boys, and all the guys that have built our culture and tradition over the years, especially to get a win for our coaching staff, who are so committed to the program and watching us be successful.”
For the Love of the Game
As a club team, Tennessee Rugby doesn’t receive any funding from the university, and the players are not on athletic scholarships. The team must raise its own money or rely on donations to participate in events and fund travel.
“Prioritizing school and being ahead on class work while also finding time to eat right, sleep well, and perform at practice takes lots of dedicated time management,” Zaharas said. “Relying on the support of teammates is very helpful. Our coaches preach ‘family, school, rugby’ in that order and there are always guys around to support you when you need it.”
The commitment required is part of what made winning the title even more meaningful for the engineering Vols, who see a correlation between their chosen field of study and the attraction to rugby.
“It could be that rugby, at times, is a very technical game. I think engineers can enjoy that part,” said Ted Naeher, a junior mechanical engineering major. “I also think engineering is hard work and something you have to really stick with. To be a successful rugby player, you have to be consistent. Just like an engineer can’t be missing assignments, you can’t be missing practices. I think you get a lot of guys who are determined to work hard no matter what they’re doing.”
Naeher wasn’t a starter on the team early in the season but kept showing up for the daily practices and retained a positive attitude. After injuries sidelined a few players, Naeher got his chance to be on the playoff roster.
“Just being available helped me slide into my spot,” he said. “I’m glad I was there. I’m glad I didn’t give up or get upset that I wasn’t on a side and call it quits. That is a good life lesson to have.”
Building Leaders
Barrett Swedin, a sophomore nuclear engineering major, had never played rugby before arriving at UT. As a support player who helps prepare the starters in practice, Swedin benefited from the leadership of this year’s senior class.
“I’ve learned a lot about the game itself, but also how to be a man throughout life, how to act in certain situations, and how to be a good person. It’s a lot more than just learning rugby from them,” Swedin said. “I could not find a group of people that deserve to end on a national championship more than our seniors because they are a special group of people.”
Swedin accepted an undergraduate research position this academic year working with Sarah Donaher, a joint civil and nuclear assistant professor, on projects involving microscopy with advanced AI on the quantifications of microplastics. Having rugby as an outlet from his classes and research has been essential for Swedin.
“After a long day of classes, studying, and homework, I know that practice is my two-hour break,” he said. “It almost helps me push myself through school, because I know I can take this period to go hard with my classes knowing I have that two-hour break coming. It helps me balance everything more.”
Finding a Common Bond
Aidan Castette was among a group of seven freshmen engineering majors on the rugby team. The group has received constant advice from upperclassmen engineering Vols about balancing the demands of both.
“Everyone has that same mindset of working hard together and coming together for same goal, and that kind of works together well in rugby and engineering,” said Castette, a former high school football player from Chicago. “The freshmen all study together for all our tests and classes, and we also practice together and work together as a team on the field as well. It’s truly like a brotherhood or family.”
Instead of overwhelming him, Castette believes pursuing engineering and rugby has been more beneficial to his academic success.
“It’s helped me stay focused. I think if I had more of an easier class load, my college experience would be very different,” he said. “I feel like I would kind of relax a little more. I feel like having the engineering aspect mixed with rugby makes me be able to lock in, knowing that I have to stay focused and on schedule or my grades are going to start to slip.”
Leaving a Legacy
Squirlock, a senior mechanical engineering major with a minor in aerospace engineering, lives with two engineering rugby teammates. Along with his classes, Squirlock is a research assistant for Associate Professor Brett Compton and works 20 hours a week at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
His devotion to rugby over the four years has made his UT experience even more rewarding. He’s made friendships that will last a lifetime and gained confidence in his ability to handle adversity.
Being able to hoist the national championship trophy after playing his final college rugby match provided Squirlock with an indelible memory.
“It’s better than I could have ever imagined. What a way to go out,” Squirlock said. “I’ve been playing with a bunch of the same guys all four years, and we’ve all been working for this. It feels amazing to have accomplished it.”
TCE’s Club Rugby Members
- Jack Alzona, Civil
- Jacob Anton, Mechanical
- Adel Aqqad, Mechanical
- Logan Brandt, Mechanical
- Jaxson Burrous, Mechanical
- Patrick Carey, Mechanical
- Aidan Castette, Industrial
- Erasmo Cortez, Civil
- Hudson Durbin, Biomedical
- Liam Fitzpatrick, Mechanical
- Ben Killebrew, Electrical
- John McCollum, Mechanical
- Ted Naeher, Mechanical
- Brandon Picarillo, Aerospace
- Barrett Swedin, Nuclear
- Joey Squirlock, Mechanical
- Peter Wilson, Aerospace
- Niko Zaharas, Biomedical
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])