The Shoreline Spartans rugby club, a team that previously struggled to win more than 10% of their games four years ago, changed when they joined forces with the Rose City Raptors from Norwich two years ago. After a season, last year, where they won 85% of their games, they find themselves excited for the potential of this year.

Coach Jake Dilts explained that the team’s journey began when two programs joined forces back in the spring of 2024. In the early stages, the Raptors, who brought in athletes from the Norwich area, didn’t have enough players to field a full varsity team. That changed when the Shoreline Spartans contacted the Rose City Raptors and talked about a possible merge, which went through in 2024.

The newly formed Spartan Raptors struggled their first season in 2024 not winning a game, but last season quickly began to find success, finishing with a 5-2-1 record.

“The first year we both played, we were two teams working for the same goal, but we weren’t one team working for the same goal,” said Coach Jake Dilts. “We both wanted to win, but we never worked together to achieve that goal.”

Coach Dilts, head coach and founder of the Rose City Raptors, sees the potential in the team, but thinks coaching is about more than wins and losses. His passion for sports and the impact they had on his life are what brought him back to the field.

Coach Dilts played rugby in high school and college, and also coached college-level rugby at American International College in Mass. and Post University in Waterbury.

“So what got me into coaching was the profound impact that sports had on my life,” Dilts said. “Sports actually forced me to really graduate, and the bonds that I made with the teammates that I had led me to come right back after I graduated college.”

Despite the challenges of that first season together, Dilts says the team showed constant improvement. Even though they didn’t win a game in their first year as a merged club, he believes the growth they showed was a major accomplishment.

Dilts said, “The other thing I thought was a really big success was the amount of people that returned, so we knew we had something special after that first season.”

That returning experience helped lead to a breakthrough during the second season. The team finished with a 5-2-1 record. “I think it was pretty incredible for a team,” said coach Dilts. “I think all the other teams in the league had been around for 20 years. So for our team only being around two and, you know, the Spartans being a younger team, I think that was a really good result.”

“One of our most memorable wins was against West Hartford. I think it was our first real win as a team. We expected to win but were actually trailing at halftime. After a long talk at halftime, we scored five tries in a row winning 36-15. It was a win that gave us a boost going into next season,” said Dilts.

For many players, the biggest takeaway from last season was the bond the team built together. Lead scorer and experienced player Shane Meyer, had a lot of fun playing with the team last season and thinks they built a bond which helped them play better over that season.

“My favorite moment from last season was just being with the team and that is what really brought us together and made us play better,” said Meyer.

A standout moment for Meyer was a big win over Chaminade. “Chaminade was definitely one of our biggest wins, they were a top ranked team, and we used the team to our advantage, communicated all game, and that was really what helped us win that day,” said Meyer.

After a season full of learning and improvement, the Spartan Raptors rugby team is preparing for the upcoming season with confidence and a stronger sense of unity. The players are continuing to workout in the offseason, lifting, running, and studying the game, as well as going to weekly practices over the summer and doing a crossfit gym in the winter. The winter workouts and summer practices are a good way to connect experienced players with newer players to really build the bond between them and the team.

As the new season approaches, players are focused on preparing physically and mentally. Shane Meyer has been working through ankle issues while continuing to train.

“To prepare for the season, I have really bad ankle problems so I’ve been stretching, working out a lot, and doing a lot of cardio,” said Meyer.

He also hopes to contribute more offensively this year and help develop new players joining the team.

“I definitely want to get more tries, like, more goals, working out more, lifting better, and just being good for the team,” said Meyer.

“I look forward to the new players this season, helping them out and developing them, making them better than what they are now,” said Meyer.

With experienced players returning, new athletes joining, and a stronger team culture forming, the Spartan Raptors are entering the season with optimism and a clear goal, continue building as one team.