CAMP PENDLETON, CA -- U.S. Marines and Sailors with 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, participated in a rugby clinic with members of the San Diego Legion professional American rugby team at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 23, 2024.
This rugby clinic served as an opportunity for Marines and Sailors to be coached and gain the ability to play against the Darwin Stray Cats during Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 24.3.
“As soon as this opportunity came up, I put my hand up to something I was really, really excited to get to be able to do and it went really well,” said Ryan Matyas, a native of Arizona and member of the San Diego Legion Community Foundation.
As the day began, Matyas, along with the San Diego Legion players, were excited to teach the Marines and Sailors about the rugby sport. For most of the Legion players, it was the first time working with Marines as well as being put into coaching positions.
San Diego Legion teaches MRF-D 24.3 rugby basics
Photo by Cpl. Juan Torres
U.S. Marine Corps Col. Brian Mulvihill, right, the commanding officer of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 24.3, speaks with members of the San Diego Legion rugby team before a rugby clinic at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 23, 2024. SD Legion was brought in to teach MRF-D 24.3 Marines about rugby, a sport that builds comradery and teamwork. Founded in 2017, the SD Legion is a San Diego based rugby union team with players from all over the world. Mulvihill is a native of New York state. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Juan Torres)
“The Marines have been called the professional athletes of the military. To put all those core skills together in a game was the end goal, it’s for them to see, feel and hear rugby, which allowed them to see the similarities between rugby and the military.” Matyas
Practice consisted of Marines and Sailors being split up into five groups, working through drills and rehearsals, learning how to pass, catch, tackle, evade and hand off the ball to teammates. After the drills, the Marines and Sailors were split into three teams and played against each other in a round robin tournament.
“I can teach you how to catch, I can teach how to pass,” explained Matyas, “But I can’t make people want it, I can’t make people buy in, and one thing this group had in spades was buy in.”
San Diego Legion teaches MRF-D 24.3 rugby basics
Photo by Cpl. Juan Torres
U.S. Marines with Marine Rotational Force – Darwin 24.3, participate in a rugby drill during a rugby clinic with the San Diego Legion rugby team at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Feb. 23, 2024. SD Legion was brought in to teach MRF-D 24.3 Marines about rugby, a sport that builds comradery and teamwork. Founded in 2017, the SD Legion is a San Diego base rugby union team with players from all over the world. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Juan Torres)
As the scrimmages concluded, Marines, Sailors, and coaches huddled up to discuss the progress that had been made and how the opportunity would allow MRF-D 24 to improve as a team in the sport of rugby.
“It’s so cool for us Marines and the civilian side to come out and play rugby together and get to know each other,” says 1st Lt. Jacob Gregory, a supply officer with 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. “This was awesome, not really going out to the community, but the community coming to us.”
Learning an Australian tradition like rugby is just one way the unit prepares to work alongside the Australian Defence Force during MRF-D 24. Marines and Sailors of the Marine Air Ground Task Force continue learning about the culture and traditions of Australians and the ADF to best tie in to the long-standing relationship. MRF-D is one of the best examples of just how strong the U.S.-Australian alliance is, and looks to build on the rich history during the 2024 rotation.