Bend Rugby Club brings people from all walks of life together – and are one win away from Vegas

 BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Rugby Club is made up of athletes who've played for years, and some who are just starting.

“Some of us have been playing for a couple of years, and some have been playing for 20-plus years at this point," Tyler Crowder said.

The Bend Rugby Club has history dating back to 1975. Tyler Crowder is the administrator of the team. At 27 years old, Crowder is one of many on the team that is made up of people young and old. 

"From general contracting to law enforcement or working in medical or education, you know, it's a great way for us to relieve a lot of stress in that sort of sense," Crowder said. "And I think that people really like that, that we come from all walks of life.”

Crowder is a teacher who has enjoyed the sport since he was 8, and now he enjoys staying active and being part of a team.

"All get together, we all share the same kind of mentality of like, hey, it's, you know, 80 minutes of hard competitiveness. But then afterwards, we're just normal people and we just like to have fun,” Crowder continued.

This season, the team is 9-1 and will play in the Pacific Northwest Championship this weekend against rival Clark County. Last season, Bend beat Clark County to earn a spot at the regionals in Las Vegas.

At the end of the day, win or lose, the club offers the chance to play a sport they've come to love.

“Doesn't matter how big your how small you are, how fast you are, how slow you are, or how much you can or can't lift. Like, everybody's welcome to the sport, and there's always a position for everybody,” Crowder added.

It costs just $50 to play in the fall and spring, but tryouts are free. Their championship game is at Big Sky on Saturday at 2:00 P.M.