Double the rugby, double the scrum

The last beer helmet has been sucked dry, the last mega nacho plate licked clean and the last Gatorade cooler poured over a coach. Yes, football season is officially over. In light of this, sports fans may be experiencing typical signs of withdrawal: depression, anxiety, fatigue, inability to feel pleasure, aches, chills, increased craving for—oh wait—those are symptoms of drug addiction. Well, it still sounds familiar though, right? Think of rugby as the nicotine patch for your football addiction. This Friday, pick up some fish ’n’ chips and watch both of Sacramento’s USA Division I men’s rugby teams square off at Granite Park. While it would be bad to get caught in the scrum, it would be even worse to be run over by a determined rugby player in a wheelchair. On Thursday, Paralympic gold medalist and Murderball star Mark Zupan will visit Sacramento State to discuss his journey as a quadriplegic rugby player. These two events should subdue any craving for at least one more week. If not, call a doctor.