C.R. Headhunters win Midwest title

CEDAR RAPIDS - Rugby may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering sports in Cedar Rapids.

The Cedar Rapids rugby club has represented the City of Five Seasons well.

The Headhunters captured the Midwest Rugby Union Division III championship last weekend in St. Charles, Ill., advancing to the National Championship tournament May 22-23 at Columbia, S.C. It's the first Midwest championship in the club's 31 years of existence.

The finals appearance also assured the Headhunters will up to the Division II ranks for the first time in almost a decade.

“For me, I've been trying to win this for seven years,” said Brent Shepherd, who joined the club in 2003 and played on three Midwest Final Four teams that placed second twice. “It's huge.”

The Headhunters defeated the Gentleman of Dubuque, 29-17, in the semifinals. They followed that with a 36-29 championship victory over the hometown Fox Valley Maoris.

Dubuque is a familiar foe the Headhunters had already beaten. Cedar Rapids relied on its strength to advance to the championship game.

“It was a real physical and aggressive match,” Headhunters Coach Randy Kiburz said. “We knew what they were going to do. We just stuck to our game plan and played really aggressive. We really turned it on.”

The downed Fox Valley, who outnumbered the Headhunters in the game and in the crowd that attended. Cedar Rapids outlasted te Maoris, sealing the game on a successful last-second drop-kick.

“We were down late,” said Kiburz, 47, of Monticello. “We came back and scored a couple tries late and got on up on them.”

Cedar Rapids has long been known for its forwards. Even though their backs have improved with younger, more athletic players, the big guys powered the team last weekend. Depth also played a key factor.

“It was a team effort,” Headhunter Mike Holman said. “Everybody on the field and off the field, we all had a part in it.”

Now, a national championship is in their sites. The team is not satisfied with reaching the national tournament. The next goal is the national finals in Glendale, Colo., June 5-6.

“Especially how we won Saturday and Sunday,” Kiburz said. “We went in there and played some good rugby.”

The championship was a significant accomplishment for the Headhunters, who earned the No. 3 team in the Sweet Sixteen and face Triad Rugby Club out of North Carolina.

After the final whistle, Shepherd immediately hoisted a teammate in the air. The championship was a longtime coming.

“Usually when you win a game in rugby, you've been playing so long you act like you've been there before,” Shepherd said. “This was the first time you felt like a kid again.”

The semifinal win had added meaning to Holman, who is from Galena, Ill., and attended Loras College. The 32-year-old, currently of Marion, used to play for the Dubuque team before joining the Headhunters. It was the second time he faced his old mates, but there was more at stake.

“Your gut churns a ton, because you don't want to be shown up,” Holman said. “It's a totally different feeling. It's guys you played with, you drank with and they're brothers.”

Headhunters come form all walks of life, including realtors, construction, office personnel, a farmer and current Coe College students. They span a wide range of ages, but it's rugby that brings all of them together.

“When we come here it really doesn't matter what you do for a living,” said, noting one of their players, John Geka, is from Fiji and came to the states a couple years ago. “Everybody wears the same jersey and plays for the same goal.”

Players share a bond, creating a camaraderie that is rarely duplicated.

“You're committed to these guys just like you are to your family,” Holman said.

For these warriors of the pitch, there are no pep rallies or paychecks. They play for the love of the game, devoting their time to weekly practices and competitions.

“It's not just a hobby,” Shepherd said. “It's a passion for most people who play and commit to it.”

The team attracts many highly competitive players. They play hard and are focused on success and achieving that depends on everyone giving maximum effort.

“You can have one guy bust his ass, but if everyone else isn't busting their ass it just isn't happening.” Shepherd said. “You don't want to let anybody down. If you're hurting a little bit but you think you can continue on you'll suffer through to continue to play because you don't want to let your teammates down.”

A big misconception of rugby is its brutality. The sport is certainly physical and unavoidable when you have grown men running, pushing and tackling. The game is far from barbaric and can be considered by some as far less vicious than football.

“It's called a gentleman's game,” Holman said. “The guy across from you isn't out to kill you.

“In football, they're trying to take you out. In rugby, you're protecting yourself and the guy across from you.”

Club membership rests in the low 30s. The group is always looking for new members and certainly recommend athletes to expand their horizons for a new sport.

“We always encourage new people to come out and try it,” Kiburz said. “Come out and run with us. Pick it up.

“One of the biggest things I've seen the last couple years is the fitter you are playing this game the more fun you have. If you're tired it's no fun.”

Even those foreign to the game are welcome. Shepherd, who played his first game as a senior in high school, said players can pick up the basics quickly and good athletes can let their natural ability take over.

“Just go 100% and we'll teach you everything you need to know,” Shepherd said. “It's not that complicated once you get out here and you get some game time. You'll pick it up faster than you think.”