Photo by Quinn Hodge
By Miggy Aguilar
It is not every day that you see students sprinting across South Quad wielding foam swords, swinging padded chains or shouting battlefield tactics during golden-hour drills. For Quinn Hodge, freshman political science major, this is just another afternoon playing Jugger—a fast-paced, full-contact sport blending elements of rugby, fencing and science fiction.
“I always say it’s kind of like a weird baby born from a relationship with rugby, soccer and fencing,” Hodge said. “It’s about teamwork, communication and swords.”
Though still relatively unknown on campus, Jugger is gaining traction through word-of-mouth and sheer spectacle. As a member of the Camarillo-based squad, The Good Nights, Hodge is helping grow the local Jugger scene one curious student at a time.
“If you’re ever walking in to get dinner at Islands Kitchen or getting a really, really late lunch, you might see a group of people whacking each other with these sword-looking things,” Hodge said. “Or, if you’re confused by the guy swinging a ball around on a rope, that’s a chain player.”
Jugger, which originated from the 1989 cult sci-fi film “The Salute of the Jugger,” is now a formally organized sport across the United States and internationally. In the game, two teams of five compete on a 20-by-40 meter pitch to retrieve and score a foam dog skull, referred to simply as “the skull,” in the opposing team’s mound.
Only one player per team, known as the Qwik, can carry or score with the skull. The remaining four Enforcers use padded weapons, or pompfen, to block, strike or pin down opponents. Each type of pompfen — including staffs, longswords, chains and dual short swords— has its own rules and strategy.
“If I’m Qwiking, I might call out, ‘Take it slow, keep it back, I’m behind you right now,’” Hodge explained. “It requires being aware of every single player on the field.”
The Good Nights recently competed at Fog of War 2025, a tournament hosted by the University of California Berkeley (UCB)’s team Ursae Majoris. Earlier this year, they traveled to Dry Heat, hosted in Arizona. These tournaments, some with dozens of teams, are governed by the National Jugger Alliance, a player-run organization that manages rules, rankings and community outreach.
Hodge serves on the NJA’s outreach committee, which includes teams from across North America such as Baja Blast in California, Cardinal Sins in San Francisco, Deities in San Diego, Reapers in Denver and Jugger Halifax in Canada.
Yet for Hodge, Jugger is more than just a sport.
“Honestly, it was the cornerstone of what helped me develop as a freshman,” she said. “I had repressed so much of myself— sci-fi, musical theater, fantasy — just to fit in. Jugger gave me a place to be myself again.”
Her journey started humbly enough. She received a spontaneous invite from friends after seeing students playing in front of Islands Kitchen. “They were like, ‘Let’s try it, college experience,’” she recalled. “I was the only one who showed up to practice. And I just kept playing.”
Since then, she has made lifelong friends, including her best friend Isaac, and formed bonds with players across the country. One early connection was with a player known as Tuffle from Colorado. “She told me, ‘I’m so glad to see someone like you here. We need more women in games like Jugger,’” Hodge said. “Nerd spaces are for everyone.”
The sport’s inclusivity, across gender, experience and physical ability, is part of what makes it unique. “You don’t need to be a certain type of person to be good at Jugger,” Hodge said. “If you have stamina, you might be a good Qwik. If you’re strategic or loud, maybe you lead communication. There’s a place for everyone.”
The Good Nights are primarily made up of CI students and Camarillo residents. Students interested in trying Jugger can drop by a practice; no experience is necessary.
“Honestly, if you just walk up and say, ‘Can I whack stuff with a sword?’ we’re like, ‘Yeah, absolutely,’” Hodge said. “We love new people.”
Those interested can find schedules and playthroughs on Instagram @goodnightsjugger, or search “Colorado Jugger” on YouTube for full tournament footage.
Looking ahead, Hodge is hopeful about the sport’s future.
“I don’t know if we’ll see Jugger go intramural, at least not while I’m still playing, but I do think we’ll see it grow,” she said. “More people are asking questions, more are watching. It’s a weird, beautiful subcultural melting pot.”
And if she has one message for new players?
“Keep yourself involved,” Hodge said. “There’s so much fun and so much growth in this sport. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. It’ll connect you in ways you didn’t even know you could.”
