NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Monroe College Rugby team, in its first year of competition, advanced to the semifinal of the prestigious Tri-State Rugby Conference Sevens Championship at Vassar College on Sunday. Monroe was one of 16 teams across the metropolitan area to participate in the fifth annual tournament.
The championship was structured in four pools of four. The Mustangs finished Pool D 2-1, with victories over previous champions Molloy College and Bard College, but fell to William Paterson University.
As a second place in Pool D, Monroe faced the Pool C winner, SUNY Maritime College, for a spot in the semifinal. A strong, physical game saw the Mustangs score three tries through Michael Yeboah, winning 15-5 over the Privateers.
The Mustangs advanced to the final four, where they faced William Paterson in a rematch. A much improved effort from the Mustangs wasn’t good enough to defeat the Pioneers, who went on to win the tournament, undefeated.
Coach James English summed up his team’s efforts on Sunday, saying, “The players seemed to really enjoy their first experience of a rugby sevens championship. Playing five games in one day is physically and mentally demanding and not something that our players are used to.” He continued, “We have shown huge growth as a squad on and off the field, and we now have a new benchmark of where we want to be and know what we need to do to get there.”
English concluded, “For us, it’s still about new experiences, learning, and having fun. Finishing in the top four this weekend was a solid achievement for our first competition, but we are always looking forward.”
The Mustangs will build on this success with a trip to Yale University for a scrimmage with the Bulldogs on Wednesday.
