Tribe rugby team ranked No. 1, headed to Florida for Elite Eight

For the Arkansas State men's rugby team, respect has been a word that has been hard to come by.

Despite little monetary support from the university and much of their travel expenses coming from the pocket of head coach Curt Huckaby, the Indians have advanced to the Elite Eight of the Division II rugby playoffs. They will play Saturday, April 21 against a still to be determined team from Southern California in Orlando, Fla.

ASU defeated Eastern Carolina in the quarterfinals in Greenville, S.C. With that win, the Tribe advanced to the South semifinals against Appalachian State, where they would win on a walkover. Ole Miss was no match for ASU as the Indians routed the Rebels 51-3 to earn a trip to the Elite Eight.

The past two victories against Eastern Carolina and Ole Miss tell just a small part of what has been a successful story for the rugby program. ASU is 12-1 this season, with their one loss coming in the season opener to national powerhouse LSU.

Pulling off 12 straight wins has earned the Indians the No. 1 ranking in the latest eRugbyNews.com poll. However, the Tribe realizes they still have business left to prove.

"Right now it's just on paper," ASU sophomore Clint Whittler stated. "There's eight teams left so it could be any of those top eight teams. We got to keep winning."

The South Region championship was the Indians first' title in three seasons.

ASU assistant coach Lee Stanback is excited about the team's chances. The Tribe won the Division II Plate National Championship in 2000.

"It's one step closer to a national championship which we haven't won here since 2000," Stanback said. "So it's one more step closer to improving and reaching our goals."

A big reason for the success has been team unity, both on and off the field.

"Our team right now is like a family," sophomore Brett Himmler mentioned. "Our style, our play of rugby is so fluid. Everything fits together. We don't try and make it fit together, it just fits together."

A perceived lack of respect also motivates the Tribe. A national title "would show how good of a team we actually are," Himmler added.

Despite the slights, ASU realizes that they must be on top of their game for their opponents.

"They've thrown different styles at us, and we just have to pick up on it and change the game plan," Himmler said.

"Every single player knows what's going on, on the field," Himmler commented.