Hey there, Rugby Rioter!
BAM! 💥🏆
That’s the sound of St. Ignatius’ 7s team slamming their state championship trophy on the table.
Why so emphatic?
Well, they dominated 7s this fall in Ohio. We knew they were good heading into the championship weekend, but I’m not sure anyone knew that a 61-0 rout was in store for their final against a strong Moeller team.
Living up to the hype, St. Ignatius fielded a rangy and energetic defense, while captain, Mark French, led an offense that had its foot on the gas pedal all game. My calculations say that they scored a try every 1.75 minutes. Impressive stuff.
Undefeated 7s season. ✅
State championship. ✅
Three-peat champs ✅
Now onto the spring 15s season. We’re very curious how their 7s success might translate to the spring. One thing is clear: St. Ignatius has skilled players who can be deadly in space.
Continue reading for Pennsylvania 7s championship preview 👇
Calendar Watch 🕒
Spring 15s: 120 days (March 1st - unofficial start of the season)
Gonzaga Classic: 162 days (April 12th)
Midwest Invitational: 176 days (April 26th)
Nationals Tournament: 202 days (May 22nd)
Think you know rugby? Prove it!
What happens if a team doesn't have enough players to safely form a contested scrum due to injuries or cards?
Pennsylvania 7s championship preview.
This weekend, November 2nd-3rd, Pennsylvania holds their championship tournament for sevens. Here’s the scoop:
Cumberland Valley has a very strong sevens squad and comes into the weekend holding the #1 seed. La Salle and St. Joe’s Prep both sport quality rosters and will have some extra intensity fueling their Saturday match (more on that below). Berks has a reputation for being highly physical and athletic - keep an eye on them this weekend as well.
Matchup to Watch:
St. Joe’s vs. La Salle
This is a rivalry folks, make no mistake about it. These two schools play each other in the Philly Catholic League in football, and that same energy transfers over to the rugby field as well. They duke it out every year during spring 15s and this fall sevens championship will be no different.
We spoke to Liam Boyle, St. Joe’s 7s coach, and he had this to say about playing La Salle:
“It’s going to be a great match. I learned almost everything I know about rugby from their coach….because I’m his son.”
Ha! Plot twist!
That’s right, William “Biddy” Boyle is the 7s coach at La Salle and Liam Boyle is the 7s coach at St. Joe’s.
Aside from the Will Farrell/Robert Duvall “Kicking and Screaming” vibes, St. Joe’s and La Salle both have excellent sevens teams this fall. “We’re pretty evenly matched,” said Liam Boyle, “It’s going to come down to which players step up and shine individually.”
Count on an intense game, and perhaps a little bit of trickery from Liam as he looks to defeat his pops. Don’t worry fellas, there’s still a few weeks until Thanksgiving dinner for you to patch things up.
Wanna watch the action live? RugbyPA will be live-streaming games played on Field 1. Hopefully they play the Final match on this field because…well…it would be silly if they didn't. 👇
In other sevens news:
Medstar 7s tournament in DC is scheduled for November 17th, Sunday.
Reasons to attend:
Benefits a great cause.
Age groups from U6 (tag) to High School (tackle)
PRIZES for winning teams. (We’re talking custom rugby balls, gear bags, and gift cards to World Rugby Shop!)
DC Old Glory will have players and coaches on hand.
Live Music
When: November 17th, 2024 Where: 1111 Utterback Road, Great Falls VA 22066
Photo of the week:
This is from last season, but man, just look at the effort from this Granite Bay player! Credit: Granite Bay Rugby, Instagram
Ice Bath Thoughts:
Oddball musings, induced by borderline hypothermia.
🏉We’ll know that rugby has hit the USA mainstream when MLR players are featured in cologne commercials. Or underwear commercials. I can’t tell the difference anymore.
🏉I have seen exactly 2 successful drop-goals (in 15s) at the high school level over the past 20 years. What would happen if they were given a higher value, say, 5 points? Drop kicks galore.
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week we’ll recap PA sevens and bring you more high school rugby stories and news from around the USA.
Got thoughts? Drop us a line at [email protected]
-The Rugby Riot Team