Harvard Rugby Football Club

Harvard headed South to New Haven, CT for the first two rounds of the 2009 Ivy League Rugby Tournament.  Held at Yale University, Harvard’s first match against the up-and-coming Columbia ruggers ended in a close 31-22 victory for the Crimson after a tough effort from both sides.  Though Columbia managed a 1-point lead down the stretch, some last minute  work from Harvard’s skilled back line proved too much for the New York team, and the HRFC advanced to face the Yale Bulldogs in round 2.

Harvard fought hard right out of the gates, putting the Yale 15 on their back feet for most of the game.  Both sides, tired from the day’s previous matches, managed to put on a good show for the full 80 minutes, though Harvard maintained control for the majority of the match.  In the end, the Crimson triumphed 31-17 with especially strong efforts from the A-side substitutes eager to prove themselves on the field.

After a night of well-deserved rest and relaxation, the HRFC prepared to face perennial rival Dartmouth int he finals match, hosted by Columbia.  This marked the third straight year the Crimson had met Dartmouth in the finals, with the prior two matches split at one victory apiece.  Unfortunately for the Harvard ruggers, Dartmouth’s recent trip to Nationals left them both fit and skilled coming into the tournament, where they easily won their first two matches by over 100 points per game.  Though Harvard’s pack came out strong and ready to ruck, Dartmouth continued to punch through the gaps and created an insurmountable points gap as the game clock wound down.  In the end, Dartmouth walked away victorious for the second year in a row, 62-13.

The HRFC would like to thank both Yale and Columbia for hosting this year’s Ivy League Tournament, and looks forward to competing again next year.