Rugby Deserves a Fair Try

The Harvard Rugby Club certainly had reason to celebrate after finishing second in the nation two weeks ago—falling only to third-ranked Air Force in the finals. Yet their celebration last week could have an impact on the team’s sport status. Two players, Stephen A. Longo ’06 and Robert C. Boutwell ’06, who is also a Crimson editor, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct on Wednesday night in Greenwich, Conn. after they were spotted streaking through a public park. The players were allegedly intoxicated after attending a gathering of about 30 players hosted by a team member’s father. Comparisons have been immediately drawn to an incident in 1998, when the rugby team was forced to disband for a season after a group of intoxicated players were caught urinating in the MAC parking lot. While no action has yet been taken against the team for this recent transgression, Associate Director of Athletics John E. Wentzell said it was possible that the team could face similar punishment to that of five years ago.

Although the club sports handbook states that “The use of alcohol at any club event is strictly forbidden and will result in automatic suspension of club activities,” the rugby team should not lose their club status on these grounds. This policy makes little sense to begin with. Clubs should be able to serve alcohol at events to members who are of legal age. As long as no laws are being broken, it is not necessary to restrict drinking entirely—it surely is possible for students to consume alcohol responsibly. Furthermore, this policy prohibits alcohol at “club events”—a term that is exceptional vague in the social atmosphere at Harvard. While representing the University at a sporting competition, a team is clearly identifiable. But in a student’s room on campus or in a personal off-campus residence a “club event” is hard to label. In this case—a gathering at the home of a student—drawing the line between a team event and a party that team members attended is not the place of the University.

There also appears to be an unsettling double-standard in the enforcement of the alcohol policy. There are no talks of a varsity sports teams being prevented from playing for a season, though it is obvious that these teams have the same kind of parties. The rugby team has worked hard to create a name for itself, but it is still subject to potentially harsher enforcement than varsity teams. Granted, more responsible behavior on the part of the players would have avoided the potential for severe punishment. But if this inane alcohol policy is going to remain in effect, the University should at least be consistent in its penalties.

The Athletic Department would be right not to punish the rugby team for this incident involving its players. There was no property damage and there is nothing deeply harmful about a couple of guys in their birthday suits running through a town park. This occurrence has highlighted the need for certain changes, but if unnecessary disciplinary action is contemplated, the relative innocence of the streaking should be taken into consideration. For proof, just peek into the Yard tonight as hundreds of Harvard undergraduates relieve their stress running in Primal Scream. If anything, nudity has become a time-honored tradition.