Anyone who tunes in to post-game interviews with coaches, owners or general managers from respective sports teams is bound to hear the word “brotherhood” used to describe the relationship of members.The Point Park Rugby Club is not recognized by any local rugby unions as a team and does not have a coach, owner or general manager. Yet, the members say they still are as a “brotherhood.”Fly-half and team captain Eric Danze, a senior intelligence and national security major, was there to see the club in its beginning stages.“Whenever [original club president] Lindsey [Monaco] started the club, the only thing we did was toss the ball around at Point State Park,” said Danze during a break in drills.  “Since then, it turned into a club once we started to get more players.”Six freshmen joined the club this past fall semester, and so far they have done nothing but impress veteran leaders of the club.“This is the most skilled and committed freshman class we’ve ever seen,” said club president and team captain Tom Walk, who spoke during a water break.  “All of them are willing and able to learn.”As a leader of the club, he stresses fundamentals of the ancient game with his underclassmen.“Everyone out there is making beginner’s mistakes.  We have to practice the basics; ball passing, tackling and rucking.  We have seven to 10 basic plays and we are beginning to practice sets for spring matches,” Walk, a junior intelligence and national security major said.At practices, players’ feet never cease to pedal.  The basic ball passing Walk refers to can best be defined by heaving underhanded spirals at the targeted player’s midsection.  The team begins each practice with drills underlying the game’s essentials so that newcomers are able to master technique.Although the size of the club increases year-by-year, the team does not hold the credentials to join a local rugby union.  In a union, participating schools play in a regular schedule against other local college teams.“Hopefully, we can join a union in the future if the funds and players show up,” Walk said.  “Another problem is certifying a coach.  Any team who wants to join the union has to have a level 200 coach.”Perhaps the toughest obstacle the club has to overcome in joining a union is finding a bona fide coach.  As of Aug. 31, 2013, all applicants interested in becoming a coach for a union team must take an online test at usarugby.org and pass at a level of 200 in order to play in a union.  As of now, Walk said the team has some work to do.“We are working on getting a level 200 certified coach,” Walk said. “Cliff [Opfer], who works in the University as a bus driver, is our level 100 coach right now.”Opfer does not generally attend practices or meetings, but helps out the club whenever he can.In addition to Opfer, team captain and club treasurer Alex McDeavitt, who is also a forward on the team, could potentially hold the key to acquiring a coach in the near future. McDeavitt’s cousin plays for the South Pittsburgh Houligans, a Divison III men’s rugby club in the Allegheny Rugby Union.The Houligans’ coach is set to retire sometime soon and McDeavitt, a senior accounting major, thinks the coach and some of his older players would be willing to help out.“A lot of the players from the team are either set to retire or already have,” said McDeavitt at practice. “They told me they could help with anything needed.”If all falls into place, the club could face off against teams from schools such as Pitt, Duquesne, Clarion and Grove City.The club will see its toughest competition yet in its spring schedule.  It will play at West Virginia University on Feb. 23, Carnegie Mellon University on March 30 and in three tournaments on April 6, 20 and 27.Riffle said that there will be a fan van heading to the March 30 game at CMU.To make the spring schedule possible, the club still needs help from the student body due to a lack in funding.It will be selling “Rugby Roses” on Feb. 13 and 14 for Valentine’s Day.  Members will be stationed outside Village Park from 11:30-5:30 p.m. selling roses and vases for $5 and $3 apiece. They are also raffling off a “Pittsburgh Penguins basket.”  The basket includes an autographed Evgeni Malkin jersey, two tickets to a game and other penguin memorabilia.Members will be selling $5 tickets outside the Point Café on Thursday the 14th from 1 to 4 p.m.  The winning ticket will be drawn on March 15.In addition, the club is always seeking new members and according to Danze, all are welcome.“There are no restrictions,” said Danze. “You don’t have to be big or fast.The only way to learn the game is to play.”