Rugby gears up for BYU
In the midst of playing the best rugby they have ever played, both men and women’s rugby teams will face off with BYU Saturday in their first home games of the spring.
With a record of 3-4 going into Saturday, the men’s rugby club vice president Kyler Ovard said his team is looking to surprise the No. 3-ranked Cougars.
The women play on the HPER Field at 11 a.m. and the men follow at 1 p.m.
“[BYU] is coming off a close loss to the defending champions Air Force,” Ovard said. “They’ve pretty much been spanking their opponents, but we think we can play with them and earn their respect.”
The team is coming off a successful outing in Canada and behind strong play from Scott Orson and Ben Young, Ovard said the team is playing the best they have ever played.
“When we played No. 9 Utah, it was a hard-fought game,” Ovard said. “We just need to get over the hump we’re stuck on right now. If we can compete with these teams we can compete with anyone.”
On the women’s side, the team is in the middle of its “most exciting season,” said club president Rachael Dennis.
“We have 30 players this year, which is the most we’ve ever had,” Dennis said. “Ten of those are returning players. We have a very strong core and we’ve really boosted our play.”
With their B team having played against BYU and lost earlier this season in San Diego, Calif., Dennis said her team will be ready for the Cougars.
“They’re a pretty good team,” Dennis said. “They’re strong, but we know their style. I think we’re going to win.”
Dennis credited the play of seniors Lindsey Lovell and Lauren Dreitzler along with the coaching of Pat Kohler for the team’s success.
Despite the success of both teams, Dennis and Ovard said crowd support for the clubs has traditionally been lacking.
“Rugby is a fast-paced game,” Ovard said. “It’s an exciting game to watch and play and we would really like for more people to come out and support.”
Following Saturday’s game with BYU, the men’s team will prepare for match-ups against UVSC and Weber State.
Ovard said, “We’d really like to win out the season to end on a positive note and start rebuilding for next year.”
The women will host the Division II championship game against San Jose State, a team the Aggies lost to last year, in an effort to move onto the national championships later this year in Ohio.
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