How a Culture of Passion and Support Transformed the UT Rugby Team

“Gentlemen, this is a rugby ball.”

John Shaw’s (’87) coach began every season with this sentence, explaining the game that everyone there had signed up to play but that most of them had never seen.

In the 1980s, when Shaw was on the club rugby team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, it was rare for students to have previous rugby experience before stepping onto the field. Most of them had discovered the opportunity one way or another and decided to try an unfamiliar sport.

They couldn’t have foreseen what an impact this decision would have on their lives as students.

The culture they were building then on UT’s rugby team has endured decades, only growing stronger with each passing year. Not only has that culture changed the lives of students, but it’s also transformed the club sport into the highly sought-after, national championship-winning team it is today.

Each student’s experience playing the club sport feeds their passion for the team and ignites a desire to carry on a culture of support and camaraderie.

Creating a Culture of Support

When students join the UT rugby team, they’re signing up for more than a casual club sport—it’s a group of students and supporters with a long-standing history of supporting one another.

Whether it’s holding high standards during practices, sitting with students after they receive hard personal news, or celebrating national championships, Bradley knows those moments are what prepare Volunteers to graduate and take on the challenges of adulthood.

A Rich History of Life-Changing Experiences

When Shaw was a student, the rugby team changed not just his college experience but his life. He played for the team while an undergraduate student in the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. People were shocked by his schedule and would ask how he could balance the rugby team with his studies.

“My answer was, ‘I don’t know how I couldn’t,’” says Shaw. “To have both a social and a physical outlet that was not related to the very intensive studies was a big help to my mental health. I very much believe that I did better in school because of that participation.”

Playing a club sport—and especially one with the culture of UT’s rugby team—gives students an outlet to relieve stress, bond with peers, and learn how to work hard on and off the field. That was a crucial experience that has kept Shaw tethered to the university and rugby community.

“Both the rugby team and my veterinary education were vital and speak to what the University of Tennessee was to me in my life, and why it continues to be so important in my life,” says Shaw. “Those experiences have made me passionate about giving back because I want the program to do the same for all those students who are there now.”

For Bob Miller (’75), and many of the alumni who have passed through UT rugby club, playing on the team was life-changing because of the bonds made along the way.

While on the rugby team, Miller went to Atlanta to support his teammates trying out for the Eastern Rugby Union—which was part of the pathway to the national team at the time—and met a player on an Atlanta women’s rugby team who was taking tickets at a banquet for players and scouts. He got her contact information and headed back to Atlanta the next month to see her.

“Two months later, we decided to get married, and we got married six months after that,” says Miller. “We’ve been together for 48 years now. Only through rugby did I meet her.”

Leaving an Impact

Alumni like Shaw and Miller have been heavily involved in the sport for decades because of the way they were supported as students. This sustained support has helped transform the club into a national contender, providing resources—including scholarships—that mean talented players can stay and thrive on campus.

When one of the team’s devoted alumni, Richard Sexton (’73, ’76), died in an industrial accident in 1980, the sudden loss left an ache in the UT rugby community. Several of the alumni who knew him, including Miller, decided to start the Richard C. Sexton Jr. Rugby Club Scholarship Endowment in his honor.

The first award from the endowment was given to one student in 1981 for $200. Since then, more than 130 scholarships have been awarded, totaling more than $167,000 given to support students.

Each year, the rugby team hosts a highly attended alumni weekend that features a banquet celebrating the recent season as well as a rugby match with alumni and current players.

Shaw was a recipient of the scholarship, and it helped him cover part of his college tuition. Now, he gets to help bring that impact to current students as the endowment continues to grow.

“Each person that we award universally will talk about how much it means to receive the award,” says Shaw. “They feel like they’re a part of the history of Tennessee rugby. Richard Sexton continues to be alive in people’s hearts and minds because of this award.”

Shaw went on to establish another endowment in honor of Butch Robertson, a longtime coach of the team who continues to leave his mark as a supporter. The Leonard “Butch” Robertson Men’s Rugby Endowment funds the team’s coaching position.

When Bradley started coaching the team in the late 1990s, he had 22 players. Now, the team has more than 60. Because of their supportive base, players have more access to provisions ranging from equipment to medical support to trainers. Until a few years ago, all coaches were volunteers, and now, the team has an endowment supporting the coach. It’s burgeoned into a well-resourced club sport that’s bringing home national championship wins.

It’s the type of transformation that might make you assume they unlocked some kind of secret weapon—but for the rugby alumni, that secret weapon is simple.

“Supporting your teammates is the most critical element for rugby success, and that transcends the game itself,” says Bradley. “It’s all about supporting your teammate when they need it. And that spirit of support absolutely follows these guys long after the final whistle.”