On Saturday, Nov. 18th, Spring Hill College’s men’s rugby team took a striking victory from Florida State University. This past Saturday’s game was the men’s annual “Movember Match”, a game dedicated to men’s health. This Movember Match was special, in particular, because it was dedicated to Spring Hill College’s recently passed student, senior Patrick McCree.
The game started at approximately 11:30 p.m., lasting for about two hours. The ending score was thirty-eight to zero, with Spring Hill taking the win. “We spent weeks preparing,” sophomore Keegan Perkins, a member of Spring Hill College’s rugby team. “However, that’s just the basic stuff like gameplay and conditioning. Where we were most prepared was mentally.”
Keegan explained that the team chemistry built up, allowing them to work as a unit. With that by their sides, they make a “hard hitting” team. “We play to win, and that showed this game,” Keegan said.
Movember is the promotion of men’s health and the raising of awareness of prostate cancer during the month of November. Freshman Xander Herrick got to play his first Movember Match this past Saturday. “Movember is kind of a fun and light-hearted way to keep people aware of a serious subject.” He explained. “We grow our [facial] hair as a reminder that some people can’t.”
Taking such a stance during a game where the odds are not set can be nerve rattling. However, with student fans standing behind the players, the rugby team did not disappoint. “I think that promoting men’s health is important in our society.” Sophomore CeCe Suton shared at the game on Saturday. “Plus, I like to watch Rugby. It’s so cool.”
Sophomore Abby Rhodes said that she was there to support her friends, especially sophomore Christian Gilbert who was, also, celebrating his birthday while playing the game.
Another aspect that made this game a must-see was that it was dedicated to senior Patrick McCree. The rugby team, though some of them did not know Patrick, wanted to recognize the fall of this student.
“I did not know Pat personally,” junior Elizabeth Kasongo, the PR agent for the men’s rugby team, said. “Movember is about men’s health and even though [we] did not know him personally, he was still a member of our SHC community and deserves to be remembered in any special way possible.”