W. Ruggers Need Spare Change

Brother, can you spare about 15,000 dimes?

The team the Department of Athletics wants to forget, the Radcliffe Rugby Club, needs some dough. Some moola. Fast cash.

After qualifying for the East Coast Tournament in Virginia April 1-2 with an 8-0 league record, the Black and White began a fundraising drive to finance the trip.

However, Radcliffe fell short of its goal and the squad members will spend Spring Break in Jamaica working on their tans instead of working over the competition.

Still, the financial problems have not dampened the squad's spirit going into the spring.

"Besides being destitute," Anne Moon said, "we're okay. We just had a great season in the fall and we expect to do really well this spring."

"We tried really hard," said Megan Todd, the club's president. "It would have been such an opportunity for the women's club, but it wasn't feasible. We didn't have enough money to rent the bus and there's no one over 25 to sign for us and drive us there."

So instead, Radcliffe will kick off its season at the Ivy League Tournament April 8 in Pennsylvania. There Coaches:  Gina Flavin, Lisa Gartner Captains:  Alexandra Williams, Eunjie Kahn Last Year:  (8-1, 8-0) Home Games:  Soldier's Field is a good chance the Black and White could meetarchrival Dartmouth. Radcliffe defeated the BigGreen twice last fall.

"We're kind of dominating them now," Moon said,"but they're always tough."

The Black and White had its first practice lastTuesday, and the squad saw something it has notseen in quite a while: people.

There were some 30 people eager to play.Radcliffe may be able to field more than one sideof 15 for the first time in three years.

"We're really psyched," Todd said. "We want tobe able to field a B-side this year since we onlyhad about five players who did not play on theA-side last year. We should have good depth."

In addition to the new ruggers, there is a hostof experienced returnees from the fall and a fewfall sports players who have joined the squad.

Alexandra Williams, the squad's designatedscorer from her number-eight position, and EunjieKahn, who has recovered from a broken wrist thatsidelined her for much of the fall season, are thenew co-captains. They will be helped by volunteerCoaches Lisa Gartner and Gina Flavin, members ofthe Beantown Rugby Club in Boston.

Mary Moon returns along with her sister, AnneMoon, to the pack, and the former co-captain duoof Eliza Schwarz and Cherie Silvera also return.

"They work really well together," Todd said."We have several seniors coming back to give usexperience."

Experience, but no money