After the Boston Marathon bombings occurred on April 15 of 2013 and were traced back in part to former University of Massachusetts Dartmouth student Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, UMass’s campus was evacuated for a weekend.

That same weekend, the school’s men’s and women’s rugby club teams were scheduled to play in the annual “Beast of the East” collegiate tournament, but because the campus was on lockdown, the women’s team could not access its equipment. Vikki Thomas, then a member of the women’s team, said that without an outpouring of support, the group wouldn’t have been able to participate.

“I think I get more excited for Beast (of the East) than I do for Christmas,“ said Thomas, who stepped in this year to coach the current team. “We got so much support from everybody. The (UMass) boys gave us jerseys. Salve (Regina) gave us cleats. And the Beast of the East tournament tweeted out that the team was in need of equipment.”

With assistance from both inside and out, the women were able to participate in the tournament, which draws teams from all over the northeast, with borrowed equipment. Thomas said that camaraderie is typical in the rugby world, and two years later, as the rugby club at UMass continues to grow, the togetherness demonstrated in 2013 has continued to show throughout the organization.

“They do a lot together,” said Thomas of the two teams, which in the past were self run, meaning members of the team organized events.

“I don’t even hang out with anyone else anymore,” said junior Jenna Petersen, one of the team’s veterans and former vice president of the club. “We’re all honestly best friends, and we hang out all the time.”

Up until last year, the teams were self-coached. It was then that John Paull, a former player at (), came on board to informally coach both clubs. This fall, Thomas was asked to lead the women, marking the first time in the club’s 10-year existence that each team had their own official coach.

The past experiences and new bonds formed this season have helped make a tight group even tighter, and the teams continue to get bigger and better as well.

“Overall, we’re succeeding as an organization,” said senior Jacob Hibbert, a four-year member of the club who served as its president in the 2013-14 season. “It’s a close-knit sport. There’s a lot of camaraderie.”

Hibbert said between the two teams, there are usually between 50 and 60 members, with the number fluctuating depending on the season (teams compete in both the fall and the spring).

Thomas said that when she started, there were typically two substitutes on the sidelines. Given the rough nature of the sport, which requires players to tackle one another in order to stop the other team from scoring a "try," that number was low. Now, she said, there are usually at least six substitutes on the sideline, which makes it easier to compete if someone goes down with an injury.

“We’re the largest club on campus,” said Hibbert.

Not only have the teams grown, but so has the support from UMass. Hibbert said that in his first year, the funding for the club was $6,000. He said this year, the club received $16,000 from UMass, as well as their own practice and game fields on campus.

“The school surprised us,” said Hibbert. “Everything’s progressing.”

At this year’s Beast of the East tournament, which took place on April 18 and 19, the men’s team advanced to the Division 3 tournament finals, losing to Roger Williams University 19-12.

The women’s teams advanced to Sunday, losing a heated battle against Babson in the Division 3 quarterfinal by a score of 10-0.

“It was such an amazing game — such an intense game,” said Thomas. “The girls played so well. I was so excited. The entire boys team was there cheering us on. The boys definitely pushed them the keep going. Even though we lost it was definitely a victory in our books.”

“The men’s game was really intense, too,” she added. “They did a great job.”