LANSING - The Capital Area Crisis is a new rugby team in Lansing that hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow expansion success story Lansing United.

After playing with Michigan State University, a group of rugby players never lost interest in the game they love.

"We still had it in our blood," Player Alex Dawson said. "We wanted to play."

Head Coach and Player Waylon Sanford played about 13 years with MSU and Kalamazoo and still had the itch to play.

"Set up a Facebook page one night, and the next morning got 50 people commented that they would be interested," Sanford said.

The Crisis formed and a few tournaments later, the team has joined Division IV of USA Club Rugby.

Although a professional team, the players still invite anyone to join.

"If you don't know how to play, you can come on out to practice on Wednesday at 6pm," Dawson said.

The team invites players of all kinds.

"We have guys who have been playing for 20 years out here and we have guys who played their first game of rugby after playing with us for just about a week," Captain Kelley Smith said. "We'll take all skill levels."

While the team has struggled so far, the Crisis hopes to continue improve over time and eventually join Division III.

The team plays its fourth game of its inaugural season on Saturday, October 4 against the undefeated Battle Creek Griffons.