Can you hear the Ringing of the Victory bell..

When I was younger and in high school, Valley Christian, in San Jose, CA. We had only one rival, maybe some heated athletic battles with certain schools but there was only one school you went all out against regardless of how your season was going. Although Valley Christian sees its self as a Football school there was plenty of pride amongst its club sporting teams when we played Bellarmine College Preparatory.

Fast forward a decade and a few years the thanks to neglect from their own high school the Exiles RFC are no more and the Bellarmine rugby club still stands. During this time, and honestly before hand, the Bells have continued to march on and have become a historical pillar of high school rugby in the San Francisco Bay Area. Current player for the Bells , Mateo Scipioni is having an absolute great time playing and representing Bellarmine home or away and continuing to push his own rugby skills and career was gracious enough to take a few minutes to answer some questions to help more people become aware of Bellarmine Rugby and himself also. Trully hope you all enjoy and take the chance to reach out to the club and Mateo.

LLR- In a school mostly known for its football program and other more traditional sports, how did you come to play rugby?

MS- I’ve been playing rugby since the 6^th grade so I came to Bellarmine knowing I would play rugby. Although I played freshman football it wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the creativity and physicality that came with rugby.

LLR- What's been your experience playing at Bellarmine collage Preparatory?

MS- It’s been a good experience. The coaching staff is great with lots of experience in rugby. The players all come together and put in their full effort. Although we don’t win many games and we aren’t a very size gifted team we enjoy the games full of physicality.

LLR- How's the relationship between the rugby club and the other sports on campus between the players and coaches?

MS- As a club sport we don’t get the funding and attention that the traditional sports get, but we manage with minimal costs. We get a few athletes from football, wrestling, and other sports on the rugby squad, which gives us some diversity when it comes to the athletes on our team. The coaches are all volunteer coaches taking time out of their busy lives to train us.

LLR- Is there a tradition in the club that we should all know about , anything unique?

MS- We have a tradition of traveling either out of state or across the state every year to play teams that are not in our league to test our abilities against teams we wouldn’t usually play against. This is a great way to not only better our skills but also strengthen our bond as a team.

LLR- Last year the team traveled up to Seattle (tukwila) and played a curtain raiser to the Seawolves match, how was that experience for you and all involved ?

MS- It was a great experience having the opportunity to travel out of state and play the curtain raiser for the Seawolves. It was a great match in the rain, but I did not participate in the varsity match because I was out with concussion from the game the night prior. It was a well fought match and certainly a learning experience for us as a team.

LLR- When was the club founded?

MS- The club started in 1980 but it became College Park Rugby for a few years before becoming Bellarmine Rugby Club again in 2007.

LLR- In traditional sports at the school there's some many great long history rivalries with the other WCAL schools, who's the biggest rival for Bell Rugby?

MS-We don’t really have any rivalries with any schools or clubs. The schedule changes slightly every season so there aren’t really any rivalries that we have.

LLR- Saint Francis just completed their first season, is it in the best interest for Rugby and West Catholic (WCAL) schools to field rugby teams ?

MS- I feel that it would be beneficial for more schools in the area to field rugby programs. It would allow for more local competition instead of having to travel long distances, which is an issue for most rugby teams having to travel hours for a single match. It would bring together the schools in WCAL and facilitate potential rivalries which would be good for the rugby community in our area as a whole.

LLR-What days and times are practices and games?

MS- Games are on Saturdays and practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays.

LLR- What are your plans for after high school, are there academies or specific colleges you are looking at?

MS- Right now, I’m looking at universities like Colorado State, Montana State, and Oregon State. I would like to play rugby at either of these and study environmental sciences.

LLR- Best way to get a hold of you and the team and also follow all your journey's?

MS- The best way to get a hold of me or anyone on the team would be through Twitter, Instagram, or Email. You can follow @bcprugby on Instagram or @BellarmineRFC on twitter.