The Harvard rugby club will kick off its spring season today against a strong Norwich team. The Crimson ruggers will play host at the 1:30 p.m. contest on the club's traditionally swampy field next to the remains of the Bubble.

The game will provide a much-needed warm-up for the team's road trip during spring break, when the club will plunge into an intercollegiate tournament in Gainesville, Fla.

After the tournament, the team will have only a week for drills, calisthenics, scrimmaging, and basking under the Florida sun to prepare for a game under the lights against the University of Miami.

Will Pay Their Way

Individual members of the team will meet their own traveling expenses, co-captain Tom McKinley said Tuesday.

The rugby club should be stronger than it was in the fall, "especially in the scrum, where we have a lot more big men this spring," scrum half Dave Barlow said yesterday.

At scrum half, Barlow will pitch the ball into the mass of bodies that make up the scrum and then wait for it to pop back out again. If it goes Harvard's way, McKinley at lock will heel the ball out of the scrum to Barlow.

McKinley, a consistently high scorer over the past three years, said Tuesday, "It looks good. We've got about 50 guys out and nearly a dozen of them are football players."

Two football players who will be shaking up Norwich ruggers today are Hank Lauricella and Doug Quimby.

Both play at wing forward--a position requiring strength, since it's part of the scrum, as well as speed, since wing forwards often break out of loose rucks with the ball.

Tew in Lead

Co-captain Adrien Tew will again be leading the backs with his bruising breakaway runs.

Although the team has a tough schedule, with only two home games this spring, chances are good that it will improve on last fall's 5-6 record.

Along with greater size and strength, the club will have the Florida tournament under its belt when it faces the bulk of its schedule.

"It's called the Gator Tournament and it's the biggest rugby event in the South," McKinley said. "Teams from Michigan, Brown and Notre Dame will be there along with teams from all over the South."