By Antoine Jones and Arantxa Taberneiro
Staff Writers
It’s the best-kept secret of a success story for Wingate athletics this year—the rugby team.
In only their second year of existence, Coach Frank McKinney’s Bulldogs have been dominant, outscoring the competition 152-67 on the way to a 3-1 record.
The three wins have come against big public schools—South Carolina (19-10), Virginia Tech (33-12) and East Carolina (74-0)—on home turf, with two of those being played at Irwin Belk Stadium, where the team is getting exposed to more students and building a fast-growing fanbase.
Many of those students were in attendance at Wingate’s usual home field, Jesse Helms Park, on Sept. 19 when the Bulldogs put it all together in that 74-0 rout of the ECU Pirates.
A core of eight underclassmen from Argentina, led by freshmen Mateo Correa and Chalo Larran, have led a Bulldogs team that is built on defense.
“Our coach focuses our style of play on defense, forcing the opponent to make mistakes through the aggressiveness of our defense,” Correa said.
Correa said Larran has done a lot of the “dirty work” on that defense.
“He tackles, defends the lineout, scores and does a good job in the scrum,” Correa said of his fellow countryman. “He fulfills the role he has and more.”
Overall, Wingate has 12 freshmen, nine sophomores and only two seniors on a 22-man roster that includes 17 international players. Many of the players say they are still adapting to and becoming familiar with the style of rugby played at the collegiate level in the U.S.
“After the first game [against South Carolina], we were not happy with our performance or the result, but it was our first game of the year and we are also a new team,” Correa said. “Thanks to that game, we were able to improve during the week on the things we did poorly. Obviously, we still have a lot to improve, but . . . we are building a good team. This is step by step, and we do not have to rush.”
McKinney believes that the team’s foreign players pose problems for opponents because of their different approaches to the game.
“Our rugby IQ is better this year,” McKinney said.
Wingate next goes on the road to play UNC Charlotte on Oct. 3 before returning to play its last home game Oct. 17 against VMI at Jesse Helms Park. The Bulldogs will finish up the regular season by traveling to Chapel Hill to play North Carolina on Oct. 23 and Lander on Nov. 17 in Greenwood, S.C.
