Marian University in Indianapolis is gearing up for its inaugural year with varsity rugby with the opening of its new rugby field.

The field is rugby only, and this for a program that hasn’t played a game yet. A strong recruiting class is coming in though and as of now the University has said that rugby is still a go for the fall. Whether there will be other teams to play is certainly a question, but the players will be training.

“We are very thankful for the support of the Marian University President, Dan Elsener, administration staff, Athletic Director Steve Downing, and Assistant Athletic Director Cassie Mackell,” said Marian University Rugby Head Coach John Harley. “We are looking forward to playing rugby on campus as soon as we can and growing the Midwest College Rugby Conference.”

What conference play will look like this fall is hard to predict, although it’s likely few, if any, conferences will play a recognizable league schedule.

But the completion of the Marian field, with the posts sunk into the ground and the grass looking good, is just a small milepost on the way to the sport returning to colleges at some point.