The next time you're cheering at Beaver Stadium, realize you're psyching up more than just the football team.

The rugby team competes only a short distance away at the Flower Gardens and can hear you loud and clear.

"Our kickoffs usually coincide," junior Jeff Lockhart said. "We'll be ready to kickoff in our game and in the background we'll hear 97,000 people roar. In my mind I picture 97,000 people looking at our game and rooting us on."

But the noise affects their opponents adversely.

"It kind of psyches out the other team," junior wing forward Tim Finnerty said. "Seeing how many people are at Penn State."

"They're supporting not only the football team," Lockhart added, "but Penn State pride and the whole athletic program."

If any program represents Penn State's pride it is the rugby club. Sixty players on four teams play every week for little more than the competition itself. The club is always looking for new members.

Penn State travels to Cincinnati tomorrow to defend its Midwest title against Middle Tennessee State. The team qualified by winning the Allegheny Rugby Union regular season title with a 5-0 record. The Ruggers outscored their league opponents 102-10.

"Defensively we've played really well," Finnerty said. "If our offense can start working together we'll do really well and possibly go to nationals."

"I think we look good going into this tournament," Lockhart said. "Something we have going against us is that we are the defending champs. Everyone will be out to get us.

Since rugby is a club sport, no scholarships are available for the players. Crowds are sparse at the matches, and even close friends of the players often choose to go to the football game instead of the flower gardens.

Most of the Ruggers had never touched a rugby ball before coming to Penn State. They joined the team because rugby seemed like a challenging sport.

"When I'm out playing rugby I'm having fun," Lockhart said. "I have the seriousness. But unlike some programs here, you don't have the coaches saying you've got to win. That's part of the success of our program."

Despite the fact that most of the players are inexperienced, the team has been extremely successful. It has been to the final four in the nation in two of the last four years, including last year. They finished fourth overall, but were the highest finishing club team.

This year, though, they want to do even better -- they want to win it all.