The rugby players’ constant motion is overwhelming at first glance – the men seem to dart back and forth across the field, sending the ball flying at random.

However, closer inspection reveals an organized chaos on the field, orchestrated by members of the Terrapins men’s rugby football club team. After winning 11 straight regular season games stretching to last season, the players are on a tear and have earned an invitation to a nationally televised championship tournament this summer.

The team secured its second championship win in the Atlantic Coast Rugby League, which eight ACC teams formed last year. With just one game left in their league play, it has turned their attention to a more daunting task – preparing for the Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship, which will be held June 2 and 3 in Philadelphia and broadcast by NBC.

Senior club team member Trevor Tanifum said the tournament’s style of play will showcase their strengths – in ‘seven-a-side’ rugby, each team fields only seven players instead of the traditional 15.

“Sevens is more of a fitness game, and it is more about endurance,” he said. “Our speed is definitely an advantage.”

Assistant coach Steve Laake agreed the tournament will suit the team’s playing style.

“Sevens relies on faster, fitter athletes,” he said. “We’ve got a smaller team and a lot of play-maker types.”

This university’s team is even more remarkable, Laake said, because it has to scrape by. The club team has a tight budget and has to request access from the athletics department to use its facilities, unlike some other universities’ programs with more extensive funds at their disposal. For example, Penn State considers its rugby program a varsity sport and offers players additional resources, such as health insurance and strength and conditioning coaches, according to the Penn State rugby website.

“It’s embarrassing how small our budget is,” he said. “We would like to get to the point where we’re better funded by the school.”

Laake said team members might feel those disadvantages on the field, when they face off against talented clubs.

“We’re definitely punching up a couple of weight classes,” he said.

Sophomore John Davis said the team will have to seize every opportunity, including their opponent’s slip-ups, to stretch their winning streak to the national championship.

“We have to find a wide-open game and find our holes,” he said.

The men still have a few more games before traveling to PLL Park in Philadelphia.

After trouncing North Carolina in a home game Saturday, the men will wrap up their league play facing North Carolina State on the campus April 21. Just a few dozen supporters attended Saturday’s game at the engineering fields.

Head coach Jeff Soeken said the empty stands are a growing concern because when major tournaments decide which teams to invite, they consider the size of a club’s active fan base in addition to their skill level.

Soeken said he hopes to drum up enough support from students to guarantee future invitations to the tournament, and would like the athletics department to grant access to facilities so the team can prepare for this summer’s matchup.

However, the players said they are confident in their abilities and want to make a big splash in the tournament.

“I’m hoping we can shock some people,” Davis said. “I think we have the pace to do it and the people.”

akinnibi@umdbk.com