Furman runner up in Rucktoberfest Tourney

Furman’s fall philosophy on rugby is to teach the game, grow the team and ignore the scoreboard.
After just three practices, the Furman team traveled to Columbia September 22-23 to participate in the Palmetto Showcase, a round-robin, rugby jamboree.

Playing a mix of first-year and experienced players, the Paladins competed against USC b-side, the College of Charleston and USC a-side in 30-minutes halves.

Mixing and experimenting with players at different positions, the Paladins scored fewer points in halves against USC a-side and the College of Charleston.

The following weekend, the Paladins traveled to Boone to participate in the 14-team Rucktoberfest Tournament in Boone, N.C. With some positions sorted through and first-year players learning the basics, the Paladins advanced to the finals before losing to East Carolina, the defending champions.

The Furman team traveled with 23 players, approximately half of whom are first-year players. The team opened with a 22-0 win over Appalachian State B-side. Kyle Tenke, a sophomore rookie, scored his first try and Captain Zach Mullinax added two trys in this contest.

In game two, Jeff Ryckman, Justin King and Blair Barton scored trys as Furman defeated UNC-Wilmington 26-7. With the wins, Furman advanced to the finals of pool play to face East Carolina. While Furman was able to keep the Pirates out of the try zone, an able kicker proved the difference on a short field as Furman fell 9-7. Kyle Tenke scored the team’s only try.

Based on points and tiebreakers, the Paladins advanced to the semi-finals Sunday to face host team Appalachian State. In a see-saw affair, Paladin Captain and 8-man Zach Mullinax scored on the final play of the game to help his team to a dramatic 13-9 win.

The win set up a rematch with ECU, which had advanced to the finals by besting N.C. State. The game was close early as Furman held a 5-3 advantage late in the first half. But the larger ECU team – and a few unlucky breaks – wore down Furman as the Pirates scored two trys in a span of five minutes and never looked back in a 25-5 victory.

Furman is playing unusually well considering the time of the year and player experience. Only six of the 15 players who took the pitch for the finals of the Rucktoberfest Tournament started for Furman in the Division III National Championship game in April. More important than the runner-up finish, all players logged playing time at the tournament. With the exception of the final half, the Furman team, too, improved in each game.

 

photos by Mark Ryckman