The ISU Rugby Club hosted its first home tournament against both Luther and Coe College last weekend. Iowa State started the day strong with a 10-0 victory against Luther. Overall, its playing performance was well-received among the team. “The guys are starting to come together as a team, and they’re really starting to play together as a team,” said Dan Gazda, member and graduate student in chemistry. Iowa State attacked Luther with six goals right away in the first half, defensively holding the team back. Four more uncontended goals were added in the second half. “We played pretty good in the first half, but the second half we got a bit sloppy,” said Sam Russek, junior in sports science. “We thought we were going to beat them by too much; it’s hard to play against a team like that.” Luther expressed its own disappointment for the performance against Iowa State. “The biggest difference was they showed up to play and we didn’t,” said Barrett Gipp, acting coach. “Our heads were someplace else.” Due to injuries and scheduling conflicts, Luther was not able to bring a full squad. They also are fielding a less experienced team. “Don’t let this be an indication of what Luther rugby is all about,” said Scott Oyen, Luther player. “We’ve got more talent and more ability then that first game.” Many of the club’s return members who had not had previous experience before walking on to the team. However, the team was pleased with its combined performance. “Right now we’re in a really good situation.” Gazda said. “We have some guys that have been around for a few years, and they’re really starting to come into their own.” The club is always looking to add to its roster. “We actively recruit players all the time, no experience needed,” Gazda said. So far in this season, Iowa State has beat the Des Moines Rugby Club and the University of Iowa. Its next match is schedule to be at UNI’s homecoming game on Sept. 30th.