Rugby Gaining Steam Behind Benton Co. Blues

Retired Lt. Col. Zan Martin's passions are leading young men and rugby. Even though he has left the Army, he still leads troops in the form of the Benton County Blues rugby team. By the time he left the army, he had coached a few teams including one at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He formed the Blues in 2005 because he could not walk away from the rugby atmosphere. "I just missed the troops," Martin said. "High school is good to coach at because they are about the same age of military players." The sport has seen constant growth around the Natural State over the past few years. In 2006, the Arkansas Youth Rugby Association formed. There are two other high school age teams in Little Rock and Cabot. All three teams compete in the Under-19 division and the season concludes in May. They are affiliated with USA Rugby. The Blues are well into another successful spring season after building from a strong 2008 campaign. Last summer, the AYRA named 11 Blues to the state's Select Side team, which represents the state's top 28 players. The Benton County Blues is not the only Rugby program in the area. Fayetteville has a men's team. The University of Arkansas and John Brown University have club teams. However, the Blues were the first high school program in this corner of the state, which came as a shock to Martin. The constant challenge for the Benton County Blues is getting enough troops in uniform. Some programs are through high schools, but Martin leads an independent operation. The Benton County Blues attract players from throughout Northwest Arkansas including Washington County. Martin is always looking for new players. Most of the players from Rogers and Bentonville high schools but does two of the team's are from Washington County. Martin said Ben Adkins of Farmington and Nick Kersey of Fayetteville bring experience to this year's team. Martin calls the pair the "F-Troop" for the first letter of their schools. "We are called the Benton County Blues, but really it is an arbitrary name," says Martin. Most competition for the Blues requires lengthy travel. The Blues regularly head to Tulsa and Little Rock for tournaments. In late March, the Blues were in College Station, Texas, for a tournament. One of their closest events is their annual scrimmage with JBU. Martin's goals are to prepare his players for college and military rugby. This includes pushing his young players into top-notch physical condition. "Coming from Fort Bragg, I had plenty of athletes at my disposal — everything from Rangers to Seals — you didn't have to worry about fitness. You could just go out and coach," he said. "With high school you have to be able to worry about being able to complete a game, fitness-wise. We do a lot of fitness drills." Practices are Tuesdays and Thursday at the National Guard Armory off First Street in Rogers. In the past, practices were at Veterans Park in Rogers but construction of the Rogers's School District's baseball and softball fields forced Martin to find an alternative site. Martin does not know when Veterans Park will be ready, but for now the Blues are making due with their temporary home. "We call it the 'LZ' for landing zone — it's a big field beside the armory," Martin said. Besides a field, the Blues and the National Guard are a team. This season the National Guard sponsors the Blues. Some of the money goes to pay for new uniforms. "We look a little better than we did in the past couple years," said Martin with a chuckle. "We may not win, but we'll look good." Martin's most enjoyable moments are games. That's when he can take a break from yelling, set up a chair and enjoy the view. "I just like to watch the games," he said. "In Rugby there is there is no coach calling the plays like you expect in football. The coach's job is to prepare the team and sit down and relax and watch the game ... It's the kid's game, not the coach's. "It's all the matter of thinking on your feet and that's why it's a warrior's sport."