After a rather shaky start to the season, SLUH’s rugby team faced off against North County/Howell for their first home game under the lights of Oakland Avenue. The game took place two weeks ago on a chilly Thursday night as the Jr. Bills looked to get back onto the right side of the win column. 

“It was a very windy night on game day,” said junior Pau Thang. “That being said, we had to switch some game plans like going short in line-outs and stuff, but once I was playing I wasn’t really affected by the weather as the game pulled all my attention.”

While the final score was a seemingly unconvincing 13-7 win for SLUH, the game wasn’t really close as the Jr. Bills dominated possession but were struck with a series of unfortunate and costly penalties. 

“We didn't capitalize on a few opportunities, which made the final score of 13-7 a little misleading,” said head coach Brian Corrigan. “Despite a very disjointed game due to sloppy play at the breakdowns and a pretty rough wind, we dug in and played a solid defensive game. For those not in attendance, North County/Howell was awarded a penalty try to end the game.”

“Everyone was not giving up and grinding through the end which was incredible to watch,” said Thang. “That being said, we still have some small details to fix it up and to improve on. It wasn’t our best performance but we will keep working and get better as a team.”

The game also stood as a teaching moment as SLUH’s series of penalties led to further complications with the sir which further slowed down SLUH’s offensive attack. In rugby, unlike many other sports, the referee (sir) is revered by both players and coaches and is treated with a higher level of respect due to the innate nature of the game.

“The thing about rugby though, is there are many nuanced rules that are interpreted and called differently from Sir to Sir. However, when a team gets on the wrong side of a Sir, you can see how infractions are easy to find,” said Corrigan. “We as a team—boys, coaches and parents—all need to do a better job keeping quiet when calls aren't going our way. By focusing on the bad call, we waste energy living in the past, we tick off the Sir and we aren't focused on the path forward.”

The Jr. Bills hope to continue their winning form with their next match this Saturday against LaSalette in Springfield, Ill. Over the next month, the rugby team will face a multitude of top-tier regional and national competition that will begin with their trip to Illinois.

“Looking forward, we are heading into the meat of our season,” said Corrigan. “Over the next three weeks, we will be playing several top programs in the midwest and country. Let's go beat them!”