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Men’s Rugby Team Winning in the Penn National Collegiate Championship

By Shereen Rayan

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The Arizona Wildcats Rugby Team shut out Dartmouth in one of three games in the 2015 Penn National Collegiate Rugby Championship Tournament today, 24-0 and advance.

The Wildcats Rugby team shut out the Dartmouth team in their third game, beat Penn 33-10 and lost 5-12 to St. Josephs in the Penn National Collegiate Rugby Championship which is taking place in Pennsylvania from May 30-31, 2015 in PPL park.

The Wildcats looked sharp and ready to begin the game against St. Josephs.

The Women’s Wildcats Rugby team joined in cheering on their counterparts. Yes, I know, there’s a women’s Rugby Team at Arizona. You learn something new everyday, a subject for future article.

According to the USA Sevens CRC (@USASevensCRC) Twitter bio, their Rugby tournament is, “The World’s Toughest Sport in America’s Toughest City!” The organization goes on to explain, “The Collegiate Rugby Championship in Philadelphia [includes] 20 Universities, 47 Matches, 2 Days, [and results in] ONE CHAMPION!”  Here is what the pitch looked like today before the game (the call the field a pitch just like in soccer.)

There are five pools of four teams each for a total of 20 teams. In addition to Arizona, there are only two other Pac-12 teams, Cal (who seems to be in the finals each year) and UCLA.  After today’s games, it looks like all three Pac-12 teams will be moving on. Arizona was in Pool E today, which also included Dartmouth, St. Josephs and Penn. They played all four teams today and beat Dartmouth and Penn, but lost to St. Josephs. Like soccer, there is a point system, so here is where the our team stands:

http://www.usasevenscrc.com

Some Arizona Wildcats Rugby fun facts, for more information visit ArizonaRugby.org:

  • Founded in the fall of 1969, the University of Arizona rugby program has been one of the more productive in the United States
  • In 2009 the team’s XV-a-side program achieved the “Final Eight” in the National Tournament.
  • In 2009 the Wildcats entered the collegiate championship offered by NBC Sports and USA Sevens, making it to the “Final Four.”
  • Last year the Wildcats swept its pool division opponents by an aggregate score of 79 nil, falling 5-0 to Central Washington in the quarterfinals
  • Arizona’s program boasts over 90 members at any one time and routinely fields three matches a day; currently the roster lists 45 players
  • In 1997 All American and National Team Sevens player Chris Kron was named the school’s Student Athlete of the Year
  • The Wildcats have been coached for 34 consecutive years by Dave Sitton, who also played four years at Arizona prior to assuming the coaching responsibilities

More from Zona Zealots

Positions on a Rugby team include the most interesting names in sports in my opinion, here are a few of them:

  1. Flanker – There are two flankers in every rugby team, they attach themselves to one side or the other when the scrum is being formed
  2. Center – Right and left, numbered 3 and 4 are usually positioned outside the halves and inside the wings. They often need to be some of the fastest players on the pitch, usually providing the pass to the winger for him to finish off a move
  3. Prop – numbered 8 and 10, who pack into the front row of the scrum on either side of the hooker. Sometimes called ‘bookends’ in Australasia, are often the two heaviest players on a team
  4. Wing – also known as Wingers, numbered 2 and 5, positioned on each side of the field, the fastest players in a team, with the speed to finish an attacking move.
  5.  Fly half – Direct the ball and are usually two of the team’s main play-makers
  6. Lock – Strong and tall, numbers 4 and 5, locks are side by side in the scrum, bound to each other with one arm and bound to the prop in front of them with the other arm
  7. Fullback – Numbered 1, this position calls for all-round ball-playing ability and speed. The fullback is the last line of defense
  8. Scrum half or Half back – Numbered 7, the scrum half or half back is usually involved in directing his team’s play and is likely to be a very good passer
  9. Hooker – Usually wearing jersey number 9, the hooker is one of the team’s forwards. During scrums the hooker plays in the front row, and the position’s name comes from their role of ‘hooking’ or ‘raking’ the ball back with the foot

The first day of the tournament is a wrap, our Wildcats end pool play with a 2-1 record and a 62-22 point differential landing in 1st place in Pool E and advancing to he next round! 

Here is the schedule for tomorrow. Next up: Arkansas State, winner of Pool D (UCLA’s Pool)

http://www.usasevenscrc.com/2015-collegiate-rugby-championship-fixtures-and-results/

Beardown Cats!

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