Rugby Players, Guests Will Say Aloha After Successful Midnight Lottery

Aided by the proceeds of a lottery held earlier this week, the Harvard Men's Rugby Team will be spending nine days competing and relaxing in Hawaii over spring vacation.

The combination of the lottery--the winner of which will also travel to the Aloha State--and alumni donations has helped to defray the cost of the trip by about $80 per player, junior President Charlie Weeks said yesterday. The reduced cost will still be in excess of $500 for each of the 30 team members taking part, he added.

One person who won't be worrying about the cost is the winner of last night's lottery. Eliot House Superintendent Peggy Garland. Her lucky ticket entitles her to accompany the team to Hawaii, along with a guest of her choice.

Winning was "the furthest thing from my mind." Garland said yesterday. She added that after being told by a group of rugby players she had won. "I thought they were kidding." She will bring her son to Hawaii.

Two Birds With One Trip

Weeks said he sees the purpose of the excursion as two-fold. "It should be a good combination of games and relaxation," he said yesterday.

The Crimson ruggers will face Brigham Young University, the University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii Harlequins, a club team. Weeks said Harvard expects three very tough games from these opponents.

Of course, there will also be plenty of time for fun and frolic in the Hawiian sun. The team will stay in a centrally located hotel on Waikiki Beach near Diamond head. Weeks cited the need to "find a place with access to public transportation."

The Crimson will not exactly travel first class. Weeks said that the team will stay four to a room and added. "I'm sure it's not luxurious."

The series of games will be organized by the Hawaii Rugby Union. In addition to the rugby contests, the organization will offer several other functions, such as campus visits and a banquet for the participating teams.

For the Crimson, the Hawaii trip will serve as a means to prepare for the remainder of their spring schedule and the ensuing tournaments. Harvard is looking for a berth in the Eastern Regional in April. The Ivy League Tournament at Brown follows immediately after the Regionals.

While playing three games in nine days may not sound like a major commitment, Weeks emphasized the enervating effects of rugby. Rugby is like football in that "it takes so much out of you," said Weeks. He added that in California last spring, several players were injured during the course of four games in 10 days.

Team member Giles Birch called the journey "semi-serious." Asked about the opportunity to mix business with pleasure, he remarked, "we always to seem to manage that."