Rugby Squad Starts Workouts; Meets British Sailors Thursday

Tom Calhoun's varsity ruggers took the field for the first time this week in preparation for their fall season, which will begin next Thursday afternoon with a match against the crew of a British ship docked in Boston Harbor.

Lack of practice plus the absence of several of last year's standouts will handicap the Crimson in its opener, but the squad is expected to be as good or better than the 1951-52 team once it gets going.

After meeting the sailors, the club will play M.I.T. twice and will travel to Princeton along with the football team. The Crimson beat Tech on several occasions last season and expects to do like-wise this year. The Tigers, however, will give the varsity a tough match.

In general, player-coach Calhoun will spend the fall organizing the team for the coming spring. Matches in either California or Bermuda are tentatively on tap for that season along with the bulk of the varsity schedule.

Thursday's lineup is still in doubt, but there is a large nucleus of returnees enrolled in the University. Many of them, unfortunately, are playing football or soccer this fall or have not yet reported.

The club should be particularly strong in the backfield, where veterans Pat Parker, Jim Callahan, Jack Macrae, David McGiffert, Arthur Tower, and Bill Fuller will see action. Among the missing, however, are three of last year's key backs--George Sella, Warren Wylie, and Richard Salisbury.