Lancers rugby on chopping block for 2009
By Tanya Quaglia
Lance Writer
March 11, 2009
 In university sports, there are a couple of words that teams never want to hear. ‘Losing season,’ ‘disappointing results,’ and ‘lack of performance’ are just a couple.
However, the words that no team ever wants to hear when in reference to their sport, are ‘sport is cancelled.’ Those dreaded words, are slowly becoming a reality for the Windsor Lancers rugby team.
After a disappointing season, the Lancers rugby team hoped to enter next season renewed and off to a fresh start. The possibility of rugby being cancelled as a Lancer sport was far from anyone’s minds.
“It’s a shame that the university is cancelling sports,” said Head Coach Andrew Ciavaglia. “If anything they should be adding sports and services to attract students.”
Rugby is one of the most popular sports in Canada. For the past couple of years, rugby has been gaining popularity as a part of the Windsor Lancers organization.
With rugby popularity on the rise, it is a wonder as to why the university is cutting funds from this area.
According to Ciavaglia, “The university should be looking to cut dollars from areas other than services. Sports are a service to students at the university. The president did not want to cut labour from the budgets, so basically they cut service to the students. I haven’t seen anything on paper indicating an asset review or a financial review to indicate that the decision [to cancel the sport] was correct.”
“I am skeptical about the decisions being made, not sure if it’s a move to satisfy a few people’s trophy cabinets or for the better of the university. The values don’t make sense. The OUA rugby final was the second biggest event in the OUA last year.”
This past season was not the one the Lancers had hoped it would be. They had just one win, a tie, and five losses and therefore finishing in last place in the West division. While the season was tough, the spirits remained high as the Lancers looked to change their fortune in the coming years.
The team is in its rebuilding stages. This year’s squad had many young players starting out in their first season. With little to no experience to back them up in the locker room, it is tough to be successful.
Rugby is not an expensive sport for the University to run. A lack of funds and disappointing results, are leading people at the University of Windsor to believe that the best thing to do in this situation is to cancel rugby as a university sport. While rugby will still be offered as an indoor intramural sport, it will no longer be part of the Lancer Athletics community.
The university has been quiet on exact reasons for why the sport will be cancelled.
“No reason was given,” says Ciavaglia. “It makes no sense to me. I assume because they have always held football, basketball and track and field as the highest priority, and they don’t want to impact those sports. OUA sports are mostly about the people involved in the sport, not the money or recognition. The US culture around university sport does not exist in Canada.”
While rugby won’t be the first sport to be cancelled, it probably won’t be the last. Also facing possible removal is golf, women’s fast pitch, and curling. The cancellation especially impacts the players on the rugby team.
“The guys are upset, looking to transfer,” Ciavaglia said. “It’s an experience they want as part of their academic life. I offered my help to do what I can to get our players in at good schools.”
Although the athletics department has to slash $60,000 from their budget, an entire team’s worth of tuition lost will nearly total this amount, making the cuts a step backward.
With word already circulating about the pending cancellation, it is difficult to change the fate of the beloved sport of rugby. Ciavaglia is put in a tough place because of this decision.
“I am not sure what to do from here; I can’t recruit now. The information about rugby being cancelled is already in the rugby community and kids have no desire to come here. I can’t sell the program because every year they have tried to cut rugby and I have no desire to inform an athlete that the University of Windsor is a good choice for athletics and academics with that looming in the background every year.”
Cancelling rugby is especially unfortunate for everyone that have been helping out with the team for the past seven years, like Ciavaglia.
“It’s tough. Over the last seven years I have spent a lot of time away from family and spending my own money, along with others, to try and run the program, and it was all for nothing. It leaves a giant distaste for the University of Windsor.”
The decision has met with disapproval from many varsity athletes, including those in major sports such as hockey and track and field. Petitions have been started by athletes in opposition to these cuts, suggesting a four per cent cut from all sports instead.
Director of Athletics, Gord Grace, could not be reached for comment.
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