Only three years after they were almost expelled from Harvard's athletic program, the Harvard men's rugby team is pushing hard to become Harvard's 42nd varsity sport.

In the spring of 1998, the University determined that the men's team was in violation of its drinking policy when team members were found inebriated in front of the Malkin Athletic Center. As a result, the team was suspended for two years. "[Rugby]'s future was in jeopardy," says John Wentzell, Director of Club and Intramural Sports. "We had countless meetings with the team and alumni. They know that they bottomed out that year."

Since that occasion, the team has changed radically, abandoning the party image that it fostered in the past.

Now members of the club want to be known for playing a serious and physically demanding sport.

"We're looking for legitimacy," says the team's coach, Robert S. Leavitt '86.

The Harvard Athletic Department boasts 41 varsity sports, but the oldest rugby team in the nation remains a club.

Wentzell says he's impressed with the team's dedication.

"Rugby has certainly been the crown jewel of our [club sports] program," Wentzell says. "The kids put in an enormous amount of time and effort, and have the most students that participate."