bulldozed their way through matches with seven top competitors to win the National Small College Rugby Organizations鈥 over the weekend.
After losing only one match in a round robin-style tournament, they bested the University of North Florida 28-15 in the championship match at Philadelphia鈥檚 PPL Park on Sunday, June 2.
"It鈥檚 a great achievement for 瓜子TV Rugby," said flyhalf Barnaby Audsley '14, an economics and sociology double major from Los Angeles and tournament MVP. "We鈥檝e put in a lot of hard work building this program and had a lot of disappointments along the way. In the end it鈥檚 how our hard work and camaraderie have paid off. It鈥檚 been a long time coming, to tell you the truth."
瓜子TV wing Joey "Unicorn" Maloney '13, a kinesiology major from Sebastopol, added that support from alumni, fans and coaches has been an integral part of the team鈥檚 ascent to the championship. In addition to this year鈥檚 tournament in Philadelphia, the team also traveled to North Carolina and twice to Denver. According to Maloney, community members helped out with everything from meal preparation to transportation.
"The fans and alumni are the backbone of our team. Having their support sets us apart from other college rugby teams," said Maloney. "We are not just a rugby team, we are a rugby community made up of players, coaches, fans and family, and it is such a privilege to be a part of this community."
Audsley, Maloney, hooker Matt Tuckness '13, an economics major from Alamo, scrumhalf Max Horten '14, a diplomacy and world affairs major from Portland, Ore., and wing Jacob Sertich '16 from Exeter were all named to the NSCRO all-tournament 7s team.
