Football has arguably become the new American sport. Surpassing baseball, a.k.a. America’s pastime, it seems the majority of the nation is enthralled with the hitting and physicality involved with the game of football. UNC Wilmington doesn’t have a football team.

However, what the university does have is a club rugby team that is currently ranked eighth in the nation and on a 19-game winning streak at home. Since coach Jim Wiseman took the head position in the spring of 2010, the squad has not surrendered a game at home and is on a tear through the national rankings.

“This year we have been playing great,” team captain Graham Joseph said. “Our coach challenged us with a hard schedule in the fall which I think has really prepared us this semester to compete in our conference games.”

Competing in the Southern Rugby Conference, the squad contends against a wide-range of schools including in-state teams such as East Carolina University, NC State and UNC Charlotte, and also out-of-state schools such as the College of Charleston and Tennessee. Additionally, although they are a Division II team, they play up to Division I teams such as when they played Virginia Tech earlier this season. The team stayed the night in a 27-degree horse stable that Wiseman was able to borrow for the evening.

However, much of the team’s success is credited to Wiseman, who, along with Paul Collie, leads the team and is responsible for, not only the team’s practice and preparation for games, but also for the squad’s well-being on trips. Wiseman also credits Zach Gilbert, UNCW intramural sports coordinator, as a large supporter of the Seahawks who “looks over them.”

“Both coaches volunteer tons of hours and make tons of sacrifices with their families to coach us at every practice and attend every game,” said club member Brando Neale. “They are there for us through thick and thin. We’ve even come to know their wives and kids as they like to come support our games and fundraising also. Both of them have also taken money out of their own pocket to help the team whether it’s paying for food, a cheap motel or a case of water.”

Wiseman, who had no prior coaching experience, has a history with the club as he played for them when he attended UNCW in the late 1990s. After graduation, he continued his rugby career playing for the local Division II Cape Fear Rugby team, then traveling to Atlanta and playing for the Division I Atlanta Renegades before returning to the Port City. For Wiseman, he does not need to look far to see why he became the coach of the club.

“My favorite part is seeing the kids learn about a sport I’m passionate about and seeing what it means to work together as a team,” said Wiseman. “It really helps the kids grow up, learning about being a team player.”

The club does far more than just compete in games, though. They are also active in community involvement, including helping in fraternity and sorority events and donating proceeds to charity programs, such as the The Painted Turtle—a camp for kids with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The team is currently working on ideas for their own fundraisers as well.

The most unique part about the squad, though, is not their obvious success or philanthropic involvement in off-the-field projects. Instead, Neale believes it is the relationships formed just from being a member of the team.

“I ran track at UNCW and quit at the end of my freshman season. My roommate was on the (rugby) team and got me to go out to a practice,” said Neale. “I loved being back in a ‘team sport,’ a sport when everyone depended on everyone else. As I have become an older member on the team and really gotten to know everyone, my favorite part about the team is that we’re a team. We’re brothers in arms. You’re willing to go to battle with the man beside you. We’ll do anything to help another member of the team.”

The team holds its next home game Friday night at 7 p.m. against Duke University at the Gazebo Fields. As a conference game, the match is critical to try to gain a bid to the national tournament.

“We’re the best sporting entertainment on campus, especially with no football team,” said Neale. “It’s a great sport to come out and play or to come watch. We really appreciate any support we receive. We love having the field packed with fans. We’re a bunch of hard-working guys trying to go out and win some games and make a name for ourselves.”