The UW men’s club rugby team will be traveling to Glendale, Colorado to compete in the 2017 College 7’s National Championship.
The team played 7’s rugby this year, which involves seven players on each team playing for two seven-minute halves. The team competed in the Red Bull Global University 7’s competition in the fall, losing in a close matchup with Lindenwood University who went on to place 3rd in the Global Tournament. The team also traveled to Kansas City last month to play in the Heart of America Tournament, where they lost to Ohio State in the quarterfinals.
“We qualified for the National Championship last year in 7’s for the first time in our history since 1972, and have just qualified again this year by winning the Rocky Mountain 7’s Championship at the Air Force Academy, beating Air Force (B), Utah State, Kansas State and University of Colorado in the final,” David Finnoff, head coach of the team, said.
The National Championships will be in the Glendale, a suburb near Denver, and will take place May 19-21. Forty schools from all across the nation will be attending, including Arizona State, San Diego State, and their rival, Lindenwood.
“I consider Lindenwood to be our current rival in 7’s, it always gets scrappy,” Sutton Willis, player and vice president of the team, said. “We lost to them in the Red Bull Tourney 12-10 and we beat them, most recently, in the Heart of America tournament. We really don’t like Lindenwood.”
In the team’s history, they have been the National Championship runner up one time, been to the final four three times, and the sweet 16 eight times. They have also have had 17 All-Americans and five USA National Team players. In 2015, the team was ranked #21 in Division 1A, and has made it to the National Championship two years in a row.
Some of the standout players this year included Dominic Rufran, Terre Hellander and Stuton Willis.
“When you talk stand out boys on our 7’s club you have to mention Connor Rezzonico, Terrence Hellander, Dominic Rufran and Mikey Lewis,” Willis said. “They always set the pace and standard in games for younger players to follow.”
Finnof also had some words about the team and their confidence on the field.
“We have a solid team that has gained a lot of confidence over the last year in 7’s,” Finnof said. “We also have one of the best players (on and off the rugby pitch) in the country in Dominic Rufran, who we think can make the national team in this sport.”
Willis said that the team is grateful, excited and ready for the opportunity to play in the National Championship again.
“Rugby is a fun sport!” Willis said. “Wouldn’t rather play it with anyone other than my group of boys. There is so much more to this sport than the minutes you’re on the pitch and I am just so grateful that I decided to give it a shot 4 years ago and join the family.”
