The TCU men’s rugby club team plays some big name schools this year, and they’ll rely on their recruitment of big name players to help them win.

Nick Carmichael, a first-year business and political science double major, and Bryce Watson, a first-year biology major, were both recruited by the men’s team this past year.

The two freshmen sat down with TCU360 to give us an inside look at TCU men’s rugby and their time so far on campus.

How did you get into playing Rugby? 

Nick Carmichael (NC): I got in to playing rugby my sophomore year in high school. I played 3 varsity sports —  volleyball, basketball and rugby — and got into it because a lot of my friends who played other sports played it and loved it and made me go out.

Bryce Watson (BW): My dad’s coworker grew up in Australia and played rugby as a kid.  Once he settled into life in San Diego he decided to make a rugby team.  I was asked to join this team the first year it was played, but the team was dismantled after two years.  Instead of quitting on the sport I chose to play for our rival team. 

What is the most difficult part of playing rugby?

NC: The physical beating your body takes every week.

BW: Returning from an injury.

 Did you have multiple offers to go to different schools to play?

NC: I was down to six schools: The University of Southern California, Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, the University of Oregon, Saint Louis University, and the University of Wisconsin.

BW: My coach had already talked to coaches from the University of Washington and Vassar College, but both of those schools didn’t play at as high of a level as TCU.

Why did you come to TCU to play rugby?

NC: I came to TCU to play rugby because of playing time, our program’s on the rise, and I loved the coaching staff and they made me feel at home.

BW: When visiting TCU, one of the rugby players gave me a personal tour.  He explained to me the team’s recent achievements and goals.

How has your experience playing for TCU been so far?  

NC: It has been great. Being thrown under the fire and being forced to play as a true freshmen has made me stronger and more confident each and every week.

BW: I’ve had a great time so far.

And the big question: Which sport is tougher, Rugby or Football?

NC: Rugby. Your body takes such a worse beating because you have no pads on.

BW: I’m obviously biased since I only played one year of football freshman year, but rugby is definitely tougher on your body.  Not just physicality, but conditioning wise as well.