Click photo to enlarge
It's not quite football; it's not quite soccer: it's rugby; and it's alive and well here in Alaska.

As the weather warms up, we're getting into rugby season. Cool temperatures, snow and lots of mud: doesn't sound too useful to most of us, but then again, most of us don't play rugby.

Now is the perfect time to try it out. That's because the season is just now underway for the Bird Creek Barbarian Rugby Club. Rugby can be bruising, so the early season means drills and conditioning--lots of conditioning!

"It takes a lot. It's 80 minutes of running per game and so, there's a lot of fitness with it. Even though these guys carry a lot of weight on them, they still have really good cardiovascular fitness," said Mark Heysell, coach

for the Bird Creek Barbarian Rugby Club.

Rugby is a mix of football and soccer--except without pads. It involves kicking and passing. But, unlike football, even the biggest of these "barbarians" has to develop sure hands.

"You know, everybody out here gets the ball. That's why you'll see even these big guys doing these passing drills and these picking-up drills. Cause they're expected to carry the ball just as much as some of these guys that look like they're really fast out there," said Coach Heysell.

Play goes on throughout the summer, with clubs in the Valley and Fairbanks also starting up soon. There is also a club for ladies.

To contact Mitch, call 907-273-3186.