Written by: Nico Aguayo, Arts, Sports, and Culture Reporter
A sport that emerged off the movie screen and eventually to Virginia Tech, jugger is a coed sport that has grown drastically throughout the club’s existence.
Based on “The Salute of the Jugger,” a 1989 post-apocalyptic film, the sport of jugger is a five-on-five live-action-role-play sport between two teams. Each team consists of a runner. This person is in charge of grabbing a ball and taking it to the opposing team’s base. Once the runner reaches the opposing base with the ball, he or she then scores a point for their team. What do the other four players on a team do, you might ask? Once the whistle is blown, the other four players, either an attacker or defender will enter a “duel” with a player on the opposing team. These players are armed with staffs or chains to try and stop the opposing runner or help their runner score. “To make a staff, you take a PVC pipe, put a foam material around it, and usually a woman’s stocking or other piece of fabric to give it a design,” said Isaiah Suazo, member of the Knights L’Hôpital, the Jugger club at Virginia Tech. In the duels, all it takes is your weapon to hit another player for them to go down for a certain amount of time, this time is called stones. From there, the duels will result in helping their runner get to the opposing base one way or another.
Staff player Isaiah Suazo defending against attacks from a fellow club member in Blacksburg, Va., on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nico Aguayo, The News Feed NRV)
The club began in the spring of 2023 by a group of friends who just enjoyed playing jugger by themselves. They played jugger once that spring semester, before officially starting the club that fall. “When I came to Virginia Tech my freshman year, I was scrolling through gobbler connect to find stuff and I saw them, (Jugger Club) and just showed up one of the first Sundays they had practice,” said Janos Erdelyi, president of the Jugger Club. From what started with fewer than 10 members flourished to over 30 active weekly members of the club. “I joined when I was a freshman and have been here every week since. Genuinely my whole freshman year, I’ve been here and now I am starting my sophomore year and I will be doing the same for the next 2-3 years,” Suazo told me.
The club hosts multiple events throughout the week. On Sundays they have open practice, no matter what the weather might bring. Last semester, there was even a practice with snow on the ground. Erdelyi makes sure to make food for those who show up for winter practices. These practices start with a mini game called zombies. Zombies is a free for all game that helps the members warm up. From there, the members break out into teams to practice. “Practice used to last from noon to 2 p.m., then it became noon to 3 p.m., and now we just play until everyone gets tired,” club officer Zach told me. On Wednesdays, the club also hosts a laid back event that lasts from 8 p.m. to sometimes even 1 am. This practice time is more focused on members spending time with one another and having fun instead of focusing more on just playing the sport.
On Nov. 7, the club is headed to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for the annual Moonshine Cup. This is a tournament between different jugger clubs across the country. Last year, the tournament took place in Arizona. “It was incredible food, incredible company, and two days of running around in a beautiful 70 degrees,” said Suazo. This year, the team aims to bring three different teams from Virginia Tech to compete. “We have started to implement tactics seen from Manchester,” Suazo told me. This year, the team is focused on more of a man-to-man approach rather than chancing it at a random duel. “Each team and club has their own tactics to an extent,” Erdelyi explained. There will always be one runner, players with staffs, and only one chain. Erdelyi, who is a senior now, is a chain player. A chain is made up of a soccer ball attached to a rope. This weapon is thrown and pulled back allowing chain players more range to try and hit opposing team players.
President of the club, Janos Erdelyi, using his chain to attack fellow club member in Blacksburg, Va., on Sept. 13, 2026. (Nico Aguayo, The News Feed NRV)
The club focuses on more than just the tournament aspect of jugger, they focus on being one of the only coed Virginia Tech sports clubs on campus. “I think it’s really important that we have these more physical activities, especially for people that didn’t get to partake in the traditional sports but are nerdy enough to sword fight, it’s cool,” said Suazo. The club is open to anyone, no matter what year, no matter what skill level you have, and most importantly, no matter who you are.
For more information you can visit the club’s Instagram page @juggeratvt.
