April 22, 2013 at 1:02 pm
The Alumni Game will be held this weekend as scheduled. Here are the details:
Alumni Game
Host Team: Boston University
Visiting Team: Boston University Rugby Alumni
Location: Nickerson Field
Kick Off Time: 5:30 PM
Reception at T’s Pub after the Game
December 17, 2012 at 2:22 pm
We would like to congratulate the men who have been elected club officers for the 2013-2014 seasons:
President – Sam Adams
Vice President – Jason Julia
Treasurer – Jay Cronin
Match Secretary – Tim Meucci
Social Chair – Brian Gallagher
Inventory Manager – Kiran Kurian
Equipment Manager – Aaron (rookie)
Public Relations Representative – Dylan Chung
Video Producer – Tim Meucci
December 9, 2012 at 11:36 pm
BURFC will be holding Officer Elections for the 2013-2014 seasons this Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 8:15 pm in the Boston University Track & Tennis Center. In addition to President, Vice President, Match Secretary, Treasurer, Social Chair, Inventory Manager, and Equipment manager, we are pleased to announce the formation of two new officer positions: Public Relations Representative and Video Producer. The PR Rep. will take charge of updating and managing the BURFC blog and Facebook groups as well as act as our Alumni Relations liaison. This past Fall, the club purchased a HD video camcorder to record game footage. The Video Producer will be responsible for the camera and filming each and every game. Please check back this week for a post on Tuesday’s results!
September 12, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Click on the “Schedule & Results” tab to view our schedule for Fall 2012!
July 23, 2012 at 11:06 pm
The 2012 Men’s Rugby Preseason Schedule is up. Click on the “Schedule & Results” tab to check it out!
June 22, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Our final game before next week’s Nationals meant making the short trip to Babson College. The main objective was to look at some new combinations and give those on the fringes of the squad one more chance to put their hand up for selection next week.
One of the great strengths of the team this season has been the versatility of so many of the players. Several have played in three or four positions, and it has been common for a fly half to replace a prop (via some shifting around.) With our resources being tested to the limit due to a bad run of injuries, it was important to give players some game time in unfamiliar positions that they may have to fill next weekend.
From the start BU forwards clearly had the upper hand in the set pieces and showed more physicality at the breakdown. However, poor handling, and many unforced errors were letting us down. The backs were guilty of trying to force the pace and offloads when patience and playing for position would have served us better.
Impressive rucking and high work rate gave us a slender 14-7 lead at halftime. Ten changes at for the second half did little to change the pattern of the game as the BU forwards continued their dominance and the very inexperienced backline showed a lack of killer instinct in the last quarter of the field. We eventually ran out 21-14 winners.
Whilst we did not reach the level of performance we have in recent weeks, it was pleasing to keep the winning momentum, try out alternative combinations, and perhaps most importantly, come away with no further additions to the casualty list.
Excitement and nerves will definitely be prevalent during this week’s training sessions as we bid this weekend to qualify for the Final Four. Our opponents on Saturday will be Towson. Kick off 11am at Dartmouth’s rugby field in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Kind regards,
Justin Evans
Coach, BURFC
June 22, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Dear Alumni,
Hope this email finds you all well. The BU rugby team’s preparations for the Nationals at the end of the month continued on Saturday as both A and B sides competed in a tournament hosted by URI.
Roger Williams were the first opponents for the A side. A couple of fine individual efforts from Colin Yipp put us in control early on. Some wasted chances ensued for BU with the try line at our mercy, however it wasn’t long before the constant pressure paid off and by half time we held a 27-0 lead. Excellent ball retention and handling in the second half from BU lead to several fine team tries as we ran out 58-0 winners.
Revenge was high on the agenda as we faced rivals Providence College, responsible for knocking us out at the semi-final stage in two of the last three years at the Beast of the East tournament and having beaten us last time we faced them in a conference game. BU started brightly and managed to boss the early exchanges. The Terriers pack drove their counterparts backwards at the scrum and turned the ball over in contact almost at will. The team was again dominant in all areas of the field and chalked up a 39-0 win to earn a slot in the final against Salve Regina.
The B side meanwhile also secured a victory in their second pool match to advance to the final.
From a results perspective things were going fantastically, however the two victories were proving very costly. Top try scorer from the fall, Phil Brougham, pulled his hamstring, talismanic second row / flanker Amaar was rushed to hospital with broken ribs and the early morning news was that captain Aaron Stanley had a confirmed fractured cheekbone. All three are at best doubtful for the Nationals in two weeks.
Our final opponents had looked hugely impressive in dispatching NERFU finalists and regular season winners URI in the earlier round, and were bounded to prove formidable opponents. Size (their scrum half was 6’2 and bigger than any of our pack!) coupled with terrific speed out wide had proved a potent combination for them thus far.
BU were slow out of the blocks and were soon down 7-0. A penalty from fly half Antoine cut the deficit however indecision in the BU defence allowed our opponents in for a soft try and to go 14-3 up at half time. We were clearly getting little change out of a solid Salve defence and decided to change tactic. Fielding an inexperienced backline, including three freshmen with less than a season of rugby between them, we decided to opt for pick and go’s from the forwards. In a quite staggering move launched from well inside our own half, the forwards showed great technique and guts to inch their way down field and score possibly the most incredible try I’ve seen in my years at BU. The joy was short lived as Salve Regina worked the ball to their right wing who had little difficulty in rounding our defence and extend the lead to 19-8.
Undeterred, BU kept to the game plan and following more than ten phases, prop Ed crashed over to cap a fine performance. At 19-13 down we suddenly found ourselves very much in with a shout. Our opponents had other ideas and with five minutes on the clock, they again took advantage of our inexperience out wide and sent their lightening quick wing over for his third try to nudge further ahead. With the game seemingly over, BU again stuck to the tactic that had served them so well already in the game and Mike Martino got his just rewards for a magnificent effort to dive over and bring us to 26-18. Unfortunately no time was left and we had to settle for second best on the day.
While we now have a considerably thinner squad due to some cruel luck, the quality of rugby shown by the BU players was hugely encouraging and an improvement on our performances so far this spring.
Next week we have a friendly away to Babson where we will have to be sensible with squad rotation, with the Nationals just a week later.
Kind regards,
Justin Evans
Coach, BURFC
June 22, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Dear Alumni,
BU got their spring season underway on Saturday. After months of practice we could finally test ourselves against stiff opposition in the form of neighbours BC and Harvard in an abbreviated Bean Pot tournament.
Despite dominating possession and territory, BU looked like a team who hadn’t played together for months as poor decision-making at crucial moments prevented us from closing the game out. With minutes on the clock left and guarding a slender 11-7 lead BC took advantage of some naïve defending to score a try in the corner and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It was very disappointing to lose after being on top for most of the game but hopefully some harsh lessons were learned.
Next game Harvard looked hugely impressive as they demolished BC to win 29-0.
BU were clearly going to have to improve their game considerably if they were going to compete in the final game of the afternoon. However, this team has shown plenty of character and self-belief in recent years and the players took to the field determined to put right the errors committed in the earlier game. Harvard scored first from a well worked set move but on the stroke of half-time BU touched down to trail 7-5 at the break.
The second half saw BU begin to play with fluency and intensity. Confidence began to ooze from the players as eight – nine phase plays were strung together. Tries from Ed, Colin Yipp, and Freshman Chris Smith in addition to a penalty from Antoine gave us a very satisfying 27-7 win. Whilst we were left to rue a missed opportunity in making it two wins from two, it was great to see the team play so well in emphatically beating a powerhouse such as Harvard.
Attention turns to this Saturday and I very much look forward to seeing many of you at the Alumni game on Nickerson at 1pm. Kind regards,
Justin Evans
(Coach, BURFC)
May 17, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Click on the “Schedule & Results” page to view our Fall schedule.
April 11, 2012 at 1:04 pm