Watching the Coast Guard helicopters fly over the championship rugby game as a show of support was a "chicken-skin" moment for Alex Why.

Hearing them was another story.

Why, an Iolani graduate and Coast Guard Academy sophomore, and Alan Rosenberg, a junior from Kealakehe High, helped lead their team to the USA Rugby Men's Collegiate Division II National Championships early last month at Stanford, Calif.

"There were flyovers from Coast Guard helicopters that came over and checked it out," Why said. "It was neat. It felt like a huge rush of pride to be in the service. The only thing was that it was kind of hard to hear the calls when they were flying overhead.

"It felt good; we never really get fans, so it was nice to have people. Even when we started, it was a huge rush."

The Coast Guard defeated Northern Colorado, 17-12, on May 6, for the school's first rugby national championship. Earlier, it beat Humboldt State, 12-6, in the semifinals and Salisbury, 21-7, in the quarterfinals.

Why and Rosenberg played the entire championship match for the Northeast region champions. Why played tight head prop, the "front guy on the right in the scrum," and Rosenberg was his counterpart as the loose head prop on the left.

"They were both huge parts of winning the national championship," Lt. Commander Steve Whitrock said. "Both brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the team. They're two very, very good kids. Kind of quiet, but they do their job, and they do their job well. The whole team had a lot of respect for them."

Neither played rugby until attending the Coast Guard Academy, but both did have football experience — although that didn't really help when they first joined the rugby club.

"They say it kind of hinders you," Why said. "Tackling in football is different in rugby. I had to basically relearn tackling fundamentals."

However, playing football "helped to toughen you up," Why said, preparing him for the physical aspect of rugby.

Why, who said rugby "got me into great shape," said it took about a year to pick up the sport.

"They both went about a year kind of on the JV (B side)," Whitrock said. "They came over, spent a year watching and learning, but generally picked it up pretty quick, and then became key members the next year."

Although rugby clubs have reputations for "lots of partying and drinking," according to Why, it isn't allowed at the Coast Guard.

Instead, players commit much of their free time to practicing and conditioning. As a club sport, players are responsible for most of the logistics of practices and games.

"When we practice, we have to drive 15 minutes away to the field," said Why, who added that only seniors at the Coast Guard are allowed to drive, so the younger team members fill their cars and they all chip in for gas.

Why joined the rugby club after his friends convinced him it was a "good time." He originally planned to play football, but the team went 1-9 his freshman year and "I saw the rugby club was going to the nationals," he said.

It helped that Rosenberg is also on the team.

"It was great; we could always get together and talk about not being able to wait to go home and surf," Why said. "We could pick each other up when we were down. He would mentor me because he was pretty quiet, but when he's out on the field, he just ripped guys. It made me kind of want to be the same way."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.