It was all about cleat-to-grass contact up at Ocean View Park on a Friday in October.

The men and women of the SF State rugby teams held an afternoon practice, running drills in small groups and coming together for an all-team scrimmage.

They don’t wear uniforms, and they don’t have a roster posted online.

That’s because the rugby teams, which normally function as a recreational sports club, aren’t active this semester.

Despite the lack of backing from the school, the SF State rugby players are out practicing and playing against other schools, with hopes of soon being an SF State-affiliated sports machine.

“We just want to play, pretty much,” men’s rugby captain Chris MacDougall said.

MacDougall has been playing rugby at SF State for three years and has spent that time trying to help the team be recognized as a university-backed sport.

Rugby is one of many recreational sports at SF State that was suspended for the rest of the semester after the head of the club sports program left.

The team, which consists of roughly 20 guys and 15 girls, continues to practice twice a week and play games every other weekend against other local college rugby teams.

Rugby President Andrew Ritter calls the team a “private club,” since it isn’t currently associated with SF State.

Ritter said he would like to be associated with SF State so they could build the team up.

“We tabled for the first time this semester, and nearly 100 people signed up,” Ritter said of recruiting players at the beginning of the semester when club sports were still at full capacity at SF State.

Players have also tried to recruit students in their classes and have gotten a few people to come out and play that way.

Ritter would encourage interested players to contact MacDougall and the other three rugby captains, or to get information via the team’s Web site at gatorsrugby.com.

A low budget for sports teams has also affected the rugby players.

The team was also being asked to pay an extra $150 insurance fee.

“The school wanted us to pay more money,” MacDougall said of the high fee. He adds that it would help to have funding from the school, but that the team does “a good job for the lack of funds.”

Rugby isn’t part of the NCAA Conference like many college sports.

SF State rugby, once recognized by the school, would compete in Division II of the Northern California Rugby Football Union (NCRFU).

Although the team is currently in the offseason, the squad plans to play games until its season opener in January, including a game against University of San Francisco on Nov. 8.

“It’s our aspiration and our hope that we will be fully affiliated with the university,” MacDougall said. “It’s really the pride of going out and representing our school.”