Rugby teams’ goal is to get even better
Malaetasi Sofa (with ball) and Howard Yost pictured while playing at the national qualifier, which was hosted by Western Oregon University. The men won the qualifier to advance to the nationals. Photo by Lance Masterson.
The Western Oregon University’s men’s and women’s+ rugby 7s teams closed out last month’s National Collegiate Rugby championships with wins.
Boyds, Maryland hosted the championships.
At that event, he men’s team defeated Denver, 20-14, in the last of four matches; the women’s+ team edged Sewanee University, 25-24, in their finale.
Rounding out tournament play, the men’s team lost to top-seeded Christendom and Loyola (MD) and bested Howard.
“We did well, though certainly not as well as we would have liked,” coach Ben Barlow said of his team, which placed 11th in the small college division.
Each loss was followed by a win.
“The guys really demonstrated their resiliency throughout this tournament,” Barlow said. “They fought through a number of setbacks, but continued to hold their heads high and fight for the wins.”
Barlow expects to build on this success, one that includes consecutive appearances at the national finals.
“This season was an excellent stepping stone for us. The guys played well and I’m extremely proud of them, but they now have the experience to see where we’re going and what it’s going to take to get there,” he said. “We have a young team. Almost everyone will be back next year, and now they have all been to one national championship, several of them two. They’ve seen the work ethic and dedication it’ll take to play at that level. They’ll be coming back next year in an even better position.”
Western’s women’s+ 7s rugby team was in Boyds, Maryland last week to take on the nation’s best. Pictured, left to right, for the Wolves: Estella Miranda-Aguilar and Emily Moore (with ball). Submitted photo.
As for the women, they won one match against two losses.
“We finished 14th in the nation for small colleges and that’s worthy of celebration considering that half the team is made up of rookies,” said coach Nic Smith.
In addition, the women had only nine players on their roster. Some of whom were injured.
“(Injuries) caused players to be in positions that they hadn’t played consistently,” said Smith. “We faced a lot of obstacles. I’m very proud of my team and their accomplishments.”
The goal is to avoid complacency.
“While we accomplished a lot with a predominately new team under a first-year coach, we have a ways to go,” Smith said. “We will focus on building our team culture, promoting transparency and inclusion, where trust in each other flourish, building team chemistry.”
One benefit of the women’s+ run is that others are taking notice.
“Our team got a lot of exposure after winning the Boise qualifier, which led to nationals,” Smith said. “We’ve been able to use that to our advantage. We have several high school students who are interested in attending Western Oregon and joining our team.”
The teams did share an honor. No one traveled further to get to Boyds than the Wolves.
Continued success is expected.
Western’s “rugby programs are clearly on the rise, and I’m confident in saying that this won’t be the last time both teams qualify for 7s nationals,” said Andy Main, associate director for Western Oregon Campus Recreation.
The women’s+ team learned what it takes to compete against the best, he added.
“They earned their first match victory … and are clearly motivated to improve on that next year,” Main said.
The men’s team continued their march toward prominence.
“(They're) one step closer to being among the upper echelon of teams in the nation,” Main said.
Scoreboard:
Men’s Team: Christendom 31, WOU 7; WOU 29, Howard 10, Loyola (MD) 21, WOU 12; WOU 20, Denver 14.
Women’s Team: Colby 50, WOU 0; Ohio Wesleyan 34, WOU 0; WOU 25, Sewanee 24.
The Collegiate Rugby Championship for 7’s teams was held April 26-28 at Boyds, Maryland.
