The UNM men's rugby club is coming off possibly its best season ever and is hoping to use that momentum to become a national championship contender, coach Shannon Robinson said.
"We have a very special team that can really surprise some people," Robinson said. "All the pieces to the puzzle have fallen into place. The sky is really the limit."
The Lobos' season ended last year after their first-round loss to eventual national champion Air Force Academy in the western national playoffs.
Robinson said the most noticeable change in this year's team is in the backfield, with the addition of two players from South Africa, Dumile Tijana and A.J. Gows.
"A miracle," is how Robinson described Tijana, who will assume the role of scrum half for the squad this year.
Gows, who attended high school in the United States while earning all-American honors, will add to the team's overall speed at fly half, Robinson said.
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"Our offense will be based around our speed this year," Robinson said. "In years past we relied on our strength, but having this added speed will open up a lot of options for us."
Robinson said the team will have to rebuild as a family after losing several key players to graduation last year, including dependable big man Jeremy Armstrong and defensive mainstay Joe Lane.
"Those guys were more than players, they were leaders who united our team and set the tone for us, both on and off the field," Robinson said.
He said another big change this year is the implementation of a new western league that includes Wyoming University, Colorado State University, Air Force Academy and UNM.
"Reorganizing the league is an excellent idea," said assistant coach Ian Jones. "It will level the playing field and help everybody gain more experience."
Jones is associated with the Whales national rugby team and makes a bi-annual pilgrimage to Albuquerque to help with the UNM team.
"Ian is what helps us stand out from the rugby clubs in the region," Robinson said. "He is the Vince Lombardi of American rugby."
The Lobos' first league match is Saturday against Colorado State University at 1 p.m. on Johnson Field.
"This first game is going to be tough," Lane, now acting as an assistant coach, said. "It's going to be a test for our young squad but I'm confident that we can come together when it counts."
