The Elephants have two men’s teams and, together with players from Rugbyclub Wageningen, a women’s team called the Purple Lions (see box below). The Elephants’ performance team (H1) plays in the second division of the South pool, while their development team (H2) competes in the fourth division of the Southeast pool. There is only one student shield, which is currently in the possession of The Elephants.

Pushing, throwing, and pulling

H2 will have the chance to defend the shield on Sunday, January 25, using every bit of pushing, throwing, and pulling power they have. Their opponent is Utrecht Student Rugby Society 4.

TU/e Mechanical Engineering student Olaf Kuijper is secretary of The Elephants and a member of H2. He will lead the scrums, the game restarts. Kuijper takes position in the middle of the pack, a position suited to his build: “I am short, stocky, and strong.”

The match lasts eighty minutes—two halves of forty—with fifteen players on the field. Ideally, seven substitutes sit on the bench. But during the exam period, finding enough players is not always easy. At the start of this week, fourteen players were available, Kuijper says.

Back and forth

From experience, Kuijper knows it will be physically demanding. “When I get home, all I want to do is sleep.” The team will give everything they have, because losing the shield would be a major embarrassment in the student rugby world. “Holding the shield is a matter of rivalry and prestige,” the secretary says. “In September 2024, we won it from NSRV Obelix, the Nijmegen student rugby club.”

In mid-February, The Elephants lost the shield to the Rotterdam Student Rugby Club, but no more than five weeks later they reclaimed it from the Rotterdam team. Since that memorable March 23, 2025, The Elephants have successfully defended the shield three times. H1 did so against the Leiden Student Rugby Society, and H2 against USRS from Utrecht. “The last match against Utrecht’s fourth men’s team was incredibly close. We narrowly won 15–14.”

Machine Herman

To prepare, the Elephants train an extra two half-hour sessions on the scrum ahead of regular practice. For this, they bring out machine Herman. It is a large, heavy cushion on wheels. “A kind of steamroller,” Kuijper explains, “two meters wide and weighing 600 kilograms. We lock the brakes and push against it with three players holding onto each other, focussing on our posture and timing.”

Support

Despite the importance of the match for the student shield, the secretary does not expect many additional supporters. “Our other teams are also playing away on Sunday. But of course, everyone is welcome. The match starts at 3:00 p.m. at the University Sports Centre Olympos on Uppsalalaan 3 in Utrecht.” 

“We’re also open to new members. Anyone who wants to try rugby can join an open training session on February 5—just make sure to sign up.”

One caveat: rugby is not suited to overly cautious students. It is a contact sport with inherent risks. This year alone, a collarbone has already been broken and several concussions have occurred. “We don’t wear helmets, but we do protect our teeth. And at matches, a physiotherapist and a first-aid kit are always on hand,” Kuijper reassures.

Update expected

This article will be updated with the result on Monday. Once the secretary has recovered from the match, you can read the outcome of H2’s efforts here.

For women’s rugby teams, there had been no student shield—until the women of The Elephants decided to create one themselves late last year. While watching the Women’s Rugby World Cup finals on TV, they transformed a spare piece of material into a worthy shield, painting it bright pink.

Even without the new challenge trophy, the players face exciting matches ahead. The Purple Lions, the team of Eindhoven and Wageningen women, finished first in their division and are therefore competing this season in the promotion pool. If the Lions perform well, they will be eligible to play in the first division next year—the second-highest national level. This opportunity is all the more remarkable because just three years ago, the Purple Lions narrowly avoided relegation.