This week, I sat down with Robbie Anthony ’14, a center on the men’s rugby team and former wide receiver on the football team. Anthony transferred to Dartmouth after his freshman year at Clemson University and joined the rugby team after the Big Green’s football season ended with a win over Princeton University. Anthony recently helped the rugby team defeat Harvard University for the Ivy League Championship and his former squad in the Champions Cup.
What made you decide to join the rugby team?
RA: Well, I played rugby at Clemson the semester after I quit the football team there. I just really enjoyed the sport, and Dartmouth is very good, with a strong history of doing well. I wanted to be a part of that, and I wasn’t doing anything senior spring anyway, so I wanted to fill the void that football left.
Did you play rugby before Clemson?
RA: No, not at all. My roommate at Clemson was on the rugby team, and he convinced me to play. I had no idea what the rules were when I first started playing. I would get called for penalties at least three or four times a game, and I still do. There are things I still don’t know about the game. I’ve only been playing for a few months, both Clemson and here.
What would you say the hardest part was transferring from football to rugby?
RA: It’s a totally different game. I like to describe [rugby] as a combination of every other sport, or a game that is just totally different from everything else.
How do you think you were able come into the team and make an impact right away?
RA: I think because I played at Clemson, that definitely helped. If I hadn’t have had that one term, that brief knowledge of the game, I’d be totally lost right now. Dartmouth is a very good team, and there’s a lot of competition for spots. I don’t think I would be playing right now if I hadn’t played some at Clemson.
Do you think playing football also helped?
RA: Yeah, it’s a physical game. I’ve been playing football my whole life, so having that exposure and being used to getting hit and hitting other people comes into play a lot. You can’t be afraid to make contact, which some people have to be taught.
What do you miss most about the football team?
RA: Definitely the camaraderie — just hanging out with the guys before and after practice. My favorite part of the year was hanging out on a Saturday morning after spring practice because you’re awake, you have the rest of the day, it’s great weather and you can just hang out with the guys.
Was it ever hard for you being a transfer student?
RA: I don’t think so. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was easier than whatever I expected. Dartmouth is a pretty open community. I came during the Class of 2013 sophomore summer. I lived in [Gamma Delta Chi] that summer and they accepted me as one of their own almost immediately. Then, when everyone else came back, I was the new guy again, but there are 50 new guys on the team every year, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
What would you say is your favorite thing about being a Dartmouth athlete?
RA: The relationships I’ve formed. Dartmouth is a close knit community, and within that community the athletes are very close knit as well. Everyone gets along, everyone cheers for each other and everyone roots for each other to do well. I think just overall spirit of the athletes looking out for each other and hoping everyone else does well.
Did you know a lot of your rugby teammates before this season?
RA: I knew a handful of them, but they were just so open to having me join the team. I’ve made a couple very close friends that I’ll probably have for the rest of my life, just the same as I have with football.
How did it feel to win the Ivy Championship last weekend?
RA: I hadn’t beaten Harvard in football yet, except in a couple of scrimmages, which don’t count. It was nice to look at the scoreboard and see us beating Harvard by 50 points. We expect to win that every year, so I guess the celebration was a little more muted than you would expect, but it was still fun. It’s still cool to say we won the Ivy League Championship.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
