This fall, Butcher had to make a decision between football and rugby. Lettering in football would have certainly gained him recognition. Rugby, on the other hand, was just another club sport.

"It was really tough," Butcher said. "If I am going to play, I am going to give it 100 percent. But I wasn't going to be in a good contributing position [for the football team]. I felt I would be shortchanging myself and the team.

"Then as I met the rest of the guys on the rugby team, it really started to snowball. I knew the team had a good core of guys coming back, and then the opportunity came to see the World Cup."

Seven members of the club traveled to New Zealand to watch the World Cup, as well as playing five contests with university and club teams.

"That trip is what sold Richard to rugby," rugby Coach Martyn Kingston said. "He got exposed to what it could offer him."

"It was an invaluable learning experience, and that just really sparked my interest," Butcher said.

Practice

He then spent the summer playing for a men's rugby club in San Diego, and, along with 30 other Harvard ruggers, made the trip to Cambridge for preseason practice.

"After doing all of that this summer, and knowing we had a good team, the decision wasn't that tough," Butcher said. "I wasn't trying to get away from football, but I was going to give rugby a shot."

So far, Butcher has made the transition from football to rugby look easy, and sees action at three different positions, primarily at outside center. He is a punishing tackler and an aggressive runner who is extremely aware on the field.

"He's a heads-up type of player," Kingston said. "A tactical player, and we are very lucky to have him."

For Kingston, Butcher's presence on the team has helped on, as well as off the field. "For me as a coach, Richard is a stabilizing influence. He is a gifted athlete by any standards, and on top of that, he has a high degree of discipline and he is a team player who works hard."

The ruggers also think Butcher has been a valuable addition.

"The transition isn't easy," rugby Co-Captain Scott Roberts said, "but Rich has shown it definitely can be done. He's a great guy and he fits in real well with the team."

Butcher is confident the team has a shot at the Ivy League title and possibly the national championship in April. And on the long walks to Soldiers Field, Richard Butcher will probably still be saying to himself, "No more helmet and pads on Thursdays."