PHILADELPHIA — IU continued its revitalization of a rugby powerhouse this past weekend at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia.
After a five-year absence from the College Rugby Championships, the Hoosiers returned to Collegiate Rugby’s premier event for the second consecutive season.
Last season, IU raced out to a 3-0 pool record before falling in the Cup quarterfinal to perennial contender Kutztown.
This year was nearly opposite. After struggling the first day of competition, the Hoosiers managed to reach the Plate Final on Sunday.
Rugby Sevens, the game played at the College Rugby Championships, is a fast-paced sport with seven players. Halves are 10 minutes long with a running clock. Possession means everything, IU Coach Sarasopa Enari said.
“It’s tough,” Enari said. “Sevens is any man’s game. You can have a great game, but if the ball doesn’t bounce your way, it happens like that. You just have to reconcile yourself of the nature of the game.”
In its first game of the tournament Saturday, IU fell to Boston College 21-12 after struggling to keep possession of the ball in a frustrating loss against the Eagles.
The second game, a must-win against in-state rival Notre Dame, proved crucial to IU’s hopes of competing for a championship the next day. It started bleak for the Hoosiers as the Irish scored the first try of the game to take a 7-0 lead halfway through the first half.
A faulty exchange near the goal line between junior Alex Dorrier and junior Nick Irvin cost the Hoosiers an easy try. Cathedral grad junior Bryce Campbell, a finalist for College Rugby’s version of the Heisman Trophy, powered through a pair of Notre Dame defenders for IU’s first try — the Hoosiers trailed the Irish 7-5 at halftime.
Notre Dame would not score again against IU. Dorrier collected two assists on second half tries, including a two-point conversion kick. Senior Tyler Graham had the other burst as the Hoosiers raced past the Irish 22-7.
“It was huge,” Dorrier said. “We played them two weeks ago at Ohio State and they got ahold us pretty well, so we knew we had to get them back. It felt really good especially in pool play to get that goal differential. Unfortunately we came away a little too short, sometimes that’s just what happens.”
In a rematch of last season’s eliminating loss against Kutztown, Enari said he was not pleased with the officiating. The Bears took an early 10-0 lead before Dorrier found junior wing Teddy Terezis after a long run for the try. Kutztown came right back with a score of its own, including a conversion.
The Hoosiers needed to keep it close in order to remain in second place of their pool. Down a man due to a yellow card penalty, Dorrier powered through for his only try of the day to cut the deficit to 17-12. IU had possession at the end of the game, but was unable to convert.
“They’re a good team, no doubt about it,” Dorrier said. “We went a man down, I got carded on a questionable call. You have to give it to them, though. They started with possession for a while, just a play short. It is what it is.”
Sunday, the Hoosiers were competing for the Plate Championship, the second bracket below the cup competition. IU dominated Virginia Tech 31-7 before routing South Carolina 25-7. In the Plate Final against Wisconsin, the Hoosiers fell short, 10-7, in a defensive battle.
The Hoosiers graduate just one senior this season — the team’s roster is made up of entirely Indiana high school graduates. Enari, who has spent 16 years total as the coach, said this year’s recruiting class will be very strong for the program.
“Since I came back in 2013, we have had three consecutive undefeated seasons in the Big Ten,” Enari said. “We have a good recruiting class coming in, so I’m definitely not intending to let go of this.”
