Wake Forest Men's Rugby

Wake Rugby Announces 2012 Spring Schedule

2011-12-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest men's rugby team has finalized it's schedule for spring 2012. The slate includes two non conference preseason games and 7 Atlantic Coast Rugby League games. Wake's home games will be played on Poteat Field in the middle of campus, although the field will have a different look than in years past because of construction of the new business school nearby.

Feb. 11- Georgetown University
Feb. 18- @University of Mary Washington
Feb. 25- @University of North Carolina
Mar. 3- @Georgia Tech
Mar. 10- Bye
Mar. 17- Bye
Mar. 24- University of Virginia
Mar. 31- @North Carolina State
Apr. 7- @University of Maryland
Apr. 14- Clemson University
Apr. 21- Virginia Tech

Brandon Turner Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

2011-11-20T06:23:00.000-08:00

Brandon Turner, on his way to a hat trick against Georgia Tech in 2009

Senior wing Brandon Turner was not in Wilmington on Friday night for Wake's game against UNC-W. Instead, he was in Washington, DC, interviewing for the Rhodes Scholarship. Brandon, a two-time North Carolina Collegiate Rugby All-Star, a USA Rugby South U-20 All-Star, a member of the 2011 ACRL All-Academic team and recipient of the Wake Forest Rugby Marcum Scholarship, has an impressive resume, both on and off the field. But on Saturday afternoon that resume became virtually untouchable, as Brandon was named one of the 32 national recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship, widely regarded as the world's most prestigious scholarship. Brandon will now pursue a master's in global public health at Oxford University in 2012-2013, where he will hopefully continue his rugby career as well.

To read the Wake Forest University release, follow this link:

http://news.wfu.edu/2011/11/20/turner-named-rhodes-scholar/

Wake Ends Fall on Sour Note

2011-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

Wake finished its fall exhibition season with a 19-5 loss to UNC-Wilmington on Friday night in the Port City. With a number of regular starters benched for disciplinary reasons and senior wing Brandon Turner unavailable while interviewing in Washington for the Rhodes Scholarship, Wake put a strong new-look squad out to face a highly-ranked D2 Seahawk side. After a quick converted try put UNC-W up 7-0, Wake's forwards began to exert control of the game, maintaining possession well and setting a good platform for the backline. The Demon Deacon backs, however, were unable to make many breaks through the Seahawk defensive line and an opportunistic play saw UNC-W score in the corner to go up 12-0 at the 30 minute mark.

With the Seahawk players inexplicably shouting that they were on their way to scoring 100 points, the Wake forwards' physical domination led to a try for senior prop Matt Storck which brought the score to 12-5 at the half.

The second half saw Wake control territory and possession, but the Seahawks defense was stout and the Demon Deacons were unable to put any points on the board. With time running out UNC-W moved into the Wake half and a well-executed backline play sent a Seahawk center in under the posts and iced the victory. In a massive show of respect for the Demon Deacon program, the Seahawks stormed the field when the final whistle blew on the exhibition game, celebrating as if they had won the national championship.

In the JV game, Wake suffered another loss. Lack of cohesion and poor tackling plaugued Wake throught the JV game and despite converted tries from sophomores Drew Ammons and Jack Zimmerman, the Demon Deacons fell 29-14.

Wake now goes into its offseason and will prepare for the upcoming rigors of the Atlantic Coast Rugby League season.

Wake Varsity vs. UNC-W

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Matt McCurdy, So.
3. Nick Conte, Sr. (Iain Dormer, Fr. @15-24 blood sub)
4. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
5. Gavin Bishop, Fr. (James Watson, So. @ 40)
6. Paul Shumaker, So.
7. Rob Elmore, So. (Jeff Millar, Sr. @ 65)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr. (c)
9. Will Hank, Sr.
10. Ben Cohen, Sr.
11. Drew Ammons, So. (Ryan Tacon, So. @ 40)
12. Tim Bishop, So. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 55)
13. Tim Zage, So.
14. Peter Conway, Fr. (Jack Zimmerman, So. @ 40)
15. Tommy Kinzer, Fr.

Tries: Storck
YC: T. Bishop

25 Years Ago

2011-11-07T13:37:00.001-08:00

1986 Wake Forest Men's Rugby Team

Improved Performance Sees Wake Past UNC-Greensboro

2011-11-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest continued its exhibition season on Friday night with a 66-7 victory over a very young UNC-Greensboro side. Unlike last weekend, when the Tennessee Volunteers stifling defense kept Wake from any offensive continuity, on Friday the Demon Deacons were able to play a more structured game and utilize good ball retention from the forwards to launch backline attacks. The result was two tries apiece for Wake's centers, Ben Cohen and Ryan Tacon, and single tries from wings Franco Cima and Brandon Turner and fullback Tommy Kinzer. The forwards also go on the scoresheet, with James Watson, Christian Gutowski, and Nick Conte all touching down. Wake's offense was bolstered by the return of flyhalf Johnny McMurray, who spent most of this semester studying abroad in Australia.

Wake's JV side was able to play a shortened match with UNC-G, which ended deadlocked at 7-7. Sophomore flanker Liam McIntyre scored the JV's try.

Wake is next in action on Friday, November 18, at UNC-Wilmington. The Seahawks are a nationally-ranked D2 squad who is the preseason favorite to win the Southern Rugby Conference title. This weekend they gave Virginia Tech all they could handle in Blacksburg, leading for much of the match until finally falling to the Hokies 24-13. UNC-W will be a strong test for Wake and the Demon Deacons will have to put in alot of preparation if they want to finish the fall on a winning note.

Varsity Lineup vs UNC-G

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @ 40)
3. Nick Conte, Sr. (Iain Dormer, Fr. @ 50)
4. Rob Elmore, So. (Gavin Bishop, Fr. @ 40)
5. Christian Gutowski, Fr.
6. James Watson, So.
7. Matt McCurdy, So. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 70)
8. Brendan Shea, Sr. (c)
9. Will Hank, Sr. (Brandon Turner, Sr. @ 40)
10. Johnny McMurray, Jr.
11. Franco Cima, So. (Tim Zage, So. @ 40)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr. (Kip Lewis, Sr. @ 70)
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Jack Zimmerman, So.
15. Tommy Kinzer, Fr.

Tries: Tacon (2), Cohen (2), Cima, Conte, Kinzer, Turner, Watson, Gutowski
Convs: McMurray (8)
YC: Bishop

Wake Opens Exhibition Season with Loss to Tennessee

2011-10-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest opened the exhibition portion of its 2011-2012 15s season on Saturday against the University of Tennessee on the campus of Elon University in Burlington, NC. In unseasonably cold weather and on a soaking wet field, the Demon Deacons fell 55-5 to a very strong Volunteer side. UT used an excellent attacking platform and a stifling backline defense to control territory and possession, while denying Wake many significant attacking opportunities. Wake's lone try came midway through the first half, after a long run by sophomore wing Mark Veikos, playing in his first ever rugby game, led to a penalty on UT deep in Volunteer territory. Prop Matt Storck bashed towards the line off a penalty play and a few tight phases later the Demon Deacons were able to touch down in the corner for their only points of the game.

Head Coach Pat Kane was optimistic about his team's play, despite the lopsided scoreline. "We are at the start of our 15s season, while Tennessee was at the tail end of theirs. We held our own physically, but simply were not used to the speed with which a team like UT plays the game. This was a great experience for our guys and there are alot of positive things I saw that we can build on. 3 freshmen and 11 sophomores saw time for us today, and once these young guys start getting more comfortable with the attack and defense patterns we want to play, I think we have the potential be very good."

Wake will next be in action against UNC-Greensboro on Friday night at UNC-G. Kickoff time is TBA and both a Varsity and JV game are expected to be played.

Wake Lineup vs. Tennessee

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Jeff Millar, Sr. (Bryce Lambert, So. @ 60)
3. Nick Conte, Sr. (Iain Dormer, Fr. @ 72)
4. Rob Elmore, So. (Liam McIntyre, So. @ 40, Tim Zage, So. @ 60)
5. Paul Shumaker, So. (Christian Gutowski, Fr. @ 40)
6. James Watson, So.
7. Matt McCurdy, So.
8. Brendan Shea, Sr. (c)
9. Will Hank, Sr.
10. Jack Zimmerman, So.
11. Mark Veikos, So. (Franco Cima, So. @ 40)
12. Ben Cohen, Sr.
13. Ryan Tacon, So.
14. Brandon Turner, Sr.
15. Tommy Kinzer, Fr.

Tries: Hank

Annual Alumni Game Moved to Davidson College

2011-10-05T12:37:00.001-07:00

2009 Alumni Team After 41-32 Victory

Due to unresolvable issues with Poteat Field, the annual Alumni Match will be played at Davidson College on Oct. 15. The Alumni will take on Wake's Varsity side at 12pm followed by Wake's JV side playing Davidson. The Alumni will look to record a 5th straight win in the annual game.

Bryan Beach, '99 Named to Wake Forest Rugby Foundation Board of Directors

2011-09-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Bryan Beach, '99, MS '00, one of Wake Forest rugby's most accomplished players, has been named to the Board of Directors for the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation. Bryan was a standout player at flyhalf for the Demon Deacons and moved on to have a decorated playing career with the Atlanta Renegades after graduation. Bryan has hung up the boots and lives in Atlanta with his wife, Beth, and their two (sson to be three) young children. Below are some excerpts from the media coverage of Beach's on-field heroics in the late '90s.

Do You Know These Guys?

2011-09-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest Men's Rugby Circa 1982

Disappointing Day 2 at Atlantic Coast 7s

2011-09-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest let in a try in the first minute of its quarterfinal match against NC State and never recovered, losing 29-0 to the eventual champion Wolfpack. wake then went into the Challenger semifinals and had a rematch against UNC. Wake got tries from Brendan Shea, Tommy Kinzer, and Jack Zimmerman, but fell to the Tar Heels 28-17.

NC State defeated UVA 24-17 to win it's second consecutive championship, while Maryland defeated Florida State for 3rd place. UNC won the Challenger bracket over Clemson.

Wake now will begin the transition to 15s rugby and will play University of Tennessee on October 29.

Up and Down Day Lands Wake in ACI Quarterfinals

2011-09-17T16:21:00.001-07:00

Wake Forest showed brilliance at times but sturggled at times en route to a 2-1-1 opening day at the Atlantic Coast Rugby Sevens Championship. Wake opened the day with a mistake filled first half against Maryland and found themselves down 19-0 at halftime. Some personnel changes sparked a furious second half comeback and tries from Ryan Tacon, Tommy Kinzer, and Matt Storck allowed Wake to salavage a 19-19 tie.

Wake rested some key players for its second match against Duke and was lucky to escape with a 19-12 win. Duke played inspired rugby and are much improved from last year. Tries from Bryce Lambert, Tommy Kinzer, and Tim Bishop saw wake to the victory.

Wake's third game of the day was against the Virginia Cavaliers. After falling behind 5-0, Wake scored a brilliant 100 meter try by Ryan Tacon to go up 7-5. Virginia scored again to make it 12-7 and although Wake dominated the seond half, they were unable to capitalize on a few key opportunities and ended up with a disappointing loss.

Wake went into the final game of pool play against North Carolina, who had sailed through the day unbeaten. A loss would mean that Wake would have to play Sunday morning in a playin game. After falling behind 7-0 within the first minute, Wake turned in the performance everyone had been waiting for, running in 29 unanswered points in an almost flawless performance. Ryan Tacon, Jack Zimmerman, James Watson, Brendan Shea, and Tommy Kinzer all scored tries in the win.

Wake finishes 3rd in their pool and will play defending champs North Carolina State in the quarterfinals tomorrow at 10:50am.

Wake Forest Squad for Atlantic Coast 7s

2011-09-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest has named it's squad for tomorrow's Atlantic Coast 7s Championship in Greensboro. The team is led by seniors Ben Cohen and Matt Storck and is very young, with 10 freshmen and sophomores. Sophomore Matt McCurdy was a late scratch due to an injury suffered in practice this week and was replaced by fellow sophomore Paul Shumaker.

Wake Forest ACI Roster

Ben Cohen, '12
Matt Storck, '12
Jeff Millar, 12
Will Hank, 12
Brendan Shea, '12
Ryan Tacon, 14
Bryce Lambert, '14
Sal Scifo, '14
Tim Bishop, '14
Paul Shumaker,'14
Jack Zimmerman, '14
Tim Zage, '14
James Watson, '14
Tommy Kinzer, '15
Christian Gutowski, '15

Wake Preps for ACI with Scrimmages at Furman

2011-09-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

Sophomore Ryan Tacon will lead a young Wake Forest 7s Squad

Wake Forest will travel to Greenville, SC this weekend to play eight 7s matches at Furman University as preparation for the upcoming Atlantic Coast Invitational. The team will bring a squad of 22 to Furman and the final roster of 15 for the ACI will be announced on Monday. Other schools participating in the Furman scrimmages are Tennessee, Clemson, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Greensboro, and Furman.

The schedule for Saturday is below:

9:00- Furman v Wake
9:20- UNC-W v Clemson
9:40- UNC-G v UNC-W

10:00- Wake v. UNC-G
10:20- Clemson v UT
10:40- UT v Furman

11:00- Wake v UNC-W
11:20- Clemson v UNC-G
11:40- UNC-G v UNC-W

12:00- UT v Wake
12:20- Furman v Clemson
12:40- Wake v Clemson

1:00- UNC-G v Wake
1:20- UNC-W v UNC-G
1:40- UT v UNC-W

2:00- Furman v. UNC-G
2:20- Clemson v. Wake
2:40- UT v Clemson

3:00- UNC-G v UT
3:20- UNC-W v Clemson
3:40- UT v Wake

4:00- UT v UNC-W

Catching Up with Wake Rugby Alumni

2011-08-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Andrew Gentles, '05 playing for the Atlanta Renegades in 2006

The summer 7s season saw two members of the Wake Rugby Class of 2009 playing at the highest level of competition in this country at the National Club 7s Championships in San Fransisco. Drew Legge played scrumhalf for the Denver Barbarians, while Matt Gottbrecht played prop for the Middlesex (Boston) Savages. Now that summer 7s is at a close, we take some time to look at other Wake Rugby Alumni who are still involved in the sport:

Class of 2005

Aiden O'Leary is currently coaching high school rugby at Daniel Hand High School in Connecticut and playing for the New Haven men's club.

Andrew Gentles is the President of the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation and training for a half-ironman triathalon in September in order to be ready for the alumni match in October.

Class of 2006

Evan Woods is currently the head coach of the Whitehorse Men's Rugby Club in Philadelphia.

Achilleas Patounas plays for Princeton Athletic Club and is on the Board of Directors for the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation.

Class of 2007

Jordan Weiss is an L2 referee based out of New York City.

David Buckingham plays for New Orleans, who won the USA Rugby Division 2 National Championship in June, and coaches at Archbishop Rummel High School.

Rusty Hedrick plays for Triad Rugby in Greensboro, NC.

Greg Wagner is the Vice-President for Marketing and Publicity for the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation.

Class of 2008

Tyler Eure plays for Potomac Athletic Club in Washington, DC.

Class of 2009

Drew Legge plays for the Denver Barbarians.

Matt Gottbrecht plays for the Middlesex Barbarians in Boston, MA and is on the Board of Directors for the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation.

Dave Poplaski is the Secretary and Treasurer for the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation.

Class of 2010

Trent Justice and Mike Wills are assistant coaches with the Wake Forest men's rugby team.

Class of 2011

Ross Hilton plays for Life University's Men's Club in Atlanta, GA.

Christian Jewett plays for New York Athletic Club in NYC and is the VP for Alumni Relations for the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation.

Hunter Lostan is a beginning referee in Boston.

Wake Forest to Tune Up for Atlantic Coast Rugby 7s at Furman Collegiate 7s Event

2011-07-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest will be without the services of 2011 First Team All-ACRL fullback Johnny McMurray, who is spending the semester in Australia.

Wake Forest will prepare for the 2011 Atlantic Coast Invitational by participating in a day of Collegiate 7s on Spetember 10th at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Wake Forest will square off against fellow ACI team Clemson, as well as 2010 SEC 7s Champion University of Tennessee, Furman University, UNC-Wilmington, and UNC-Greensboro.

Wake Forest returns less than half of its 15 man roster from the 2010 ACI and will be looking for new players to fill the shoes of departed seniors Ross Hilton, Hunter Lostan, Drew Chadwick, and Steve McMillen. Wake will also be without junior backs Johnny McMurray and Rob Kelly, who are studying abroad in Australia and Spain respectively.

The 2011 ACI will take place on September 17-18 at Macpherson Stadium in Greensboro, NC. for more information, visit http://www.acirugby.com/.

Wake Forest Falls To NC State in Final of Airborne 7s

2011-06-23T09:17:00.001-07:00

NC St. defeated Wake Forest 31-0 in the final of the Airborne 7s Open Division on Saturday. State took advantage of a clearly fatigued Wake side to dominate the tackle contest and starve the Demon Deacons of possession. Leading up to the match, Wake Forest had gone 4-0 in pool play with wins over Fort Bragg, Southern Pines, Jokers, and Cape Fear B, while the Wolfpack ran through their pool 3-0 with wins over Raleigh, ECU B and Wake Forest B. Wake Forest B, a side heavy with front row players, struggled on the day and finished 0-3 in their pool.

Taking his cue from Wake Forest B's performance, Wake Forest's Michael Kane, '30 got beat soundly in the "Children's Obstacle Course," finishing dead last. Wake Forest coaches are now contemplating rescinding his scholarship offer.

Wake Forest Player Pool for Airborne 7s

Drew Ammons, '14
Sal Scifo, '14
Johnny McMurray, '13
Rob Kelly, '13
Nick Conte, '12
Matt Storck, '12
Jeff Millar, '12
Justen Robinette, '12
Christian Jewett, '11
Ross Hilton, '11
Mike Duffy, '10
Mike Wills, '10
Trent Justice, '10
Kenton Forte, '10
Dave Poplaski, '09
Tyler Eure, '08
Greg Wagner, '07
David Buckingham, '07
Patrick Kane, JD '07
Michael Kane, '30
Crawford Miller (Guest Player)
Hunter Naff (Guest Player)
Ryan Clarke (Guest Player)

Wake Forest 7s Falls to Charlotte in Semifinals of Greenville 7s

2011-06-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Current and former Wake Forest ruggers joined together for the Greenville 7s tournament this past weekend. The team went unbeaten in pool play, defeating Charlotte B 12-5, Western Carolina 21-7, and Savannah 47-7. The team advanced to the Championship Semifinals where they faced Charlotte A. Wake could not match the speed nor the experience of the Charlotte side and lost 29-14. Charlotte went on to win the tournament, defeating the Georgia Collegiate Selects 12-0 in the final. Wake Forest 7s will be in action this weekend at the Airborne 7s in Fayetteville, NC with two sides entered.

Wake Forest 7s Team at Greenville 7s

Sal Scifo, '14
Johnny McMurray, '13
Robert Kelly, '13
Wes Bloomer, '13
Nick Conte, '12
Matt Storck, '12
Justen Robinett, '12
Ross Hilton, '11
Trent Justice, '10
Patrick Kane, JD '07
Michael Kane, '30

Demon Deacons and Spartans Kickoff Joint 7s Program

2011-05-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

Wake's Johnny McMurray and UNC-G's Crawford Miller will lead the joint side this summer.

Players and coaches from Wake Forest and UNC-Greensboro have joined together this summer to practice and compete in rugby 7s. The players will train twice a week, alternating between Greensboro and Winston-Salem, and will compete in at least 4 tournaments throughout the southeast. Additionally, the players and coaches will work with Triad Youth Rugby to help teach local high school players the finer points of the game of rugby 7s.

Wake Adds Familiar Face to Coaching Staff

2011-05-16T07:12:00.001-07:00

Mike Wills gets ready to steamroll an ECU defender in a 2008 game

Mike Wills, '10, will join the Wake Forest coaching staff in the fall as an assistant coach. Wills was an All-Star player for Wake from 2006-2010, but his career was marred by injuries, including two ACL tears. He will be returning to Wake to pursue a Masters in Accounting.

Team Officers Named for 2011-2012

2011-05-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest Men's Rugby Team has named its team leadership for the 2011-2012 Academic Year:

President: Ben Cohen
Treasurer: Bryce Lambert
Vice-President Marketing and Publicity: Nick Conte
Vice-President Recruitment: James Watson
Vice-President Field Management: Drew Mehrmann
Vice-President Equipment Management: Steve Hemric
Vice-President Philanthropy: Brandon Turner
Vice-President Social Events: Chris Ryan

Gonzaga Rugby in Washington Post

2011-05-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Gonzaga, alma mater of former Wake rugger Mike Wills and current standout Johnny McMurray, is featured in the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/a-good-old-fashioned-scrum-at-gonzaga/2011/05/05/AFgJl10F_gallery.html#photo=1

Year-End Awards Banquet

2011-04-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

Last night the Wake Forest men's rugby team held its annual year end awards banquet. The following awards were presented:

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Tacon
Most Improved Player: Robert Kelly
Most Valuable Back: Ben Cohen
Most Valuable Forward: Brendan Shea
Most Valuable Player: Johnny McMurray
Marcum Scholarship: Brandon Turner

The team also honored departing coach Brad Havins, who leaves the team after four years. Havins has graduated from medical school at Wake Forest and will now be practicing medicine as part of the United States Army in Washington, DC for the next 4 years. Havins was instrumental in developing Wake's forwards and his expertise in the more sophisticated aspects of forward play will be missed.

McMurray, Pierce, Tacon, and Turner named to All-ACRL Teams

2011-04-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

ALL-ATLANTIC COAST RUGBY LEAGUE TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Greensboro, NC -- April 22, 2011 -- Six University of Maryland players, including freshman Matias Cima who was named Atlantic Coast Rugby League Co-Player of the Year, headline the inaugural All-ACRL First Team announced today. Cima is joined by University of North Carolina senior Alex Lee as conference Co-Player of the Year. After Maryland’s six first team selections, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech followed with two first team selections apiece. The conference’s head coaches chose the All-ACRL teams. Coaches were permitted to vote for only one of their own players. The conference announced an All-ACRL First Team, Honorable Mention All-ACRL, and an ACRL All-Academic Team.

Former University of North Carolina head coach Mike Groenewald was named the 2011 Atlantic Coast Rugby League Coach of the Year. Groenewald, who wasn’t even on the ballot after having to step away from his coaching role after the first game of the league season, was a write-in vote by six of the conference’s nine head coaches. No other coach received more than one vote. After defeating University of Maryland in the only ACRL match in which Groenewald coached the Tar Heels this season, Carolina ran off five more victories to finish the regular season in first place with a 6-0 record. ACRL Commissioner Patrick Kane said of the conference naming Groenewald Coach of the Year, “I think the other coaches recognized that even though Coach Groenewald wasn’t on the sidelines for most of the season, North Carolina’s success was directly attributable to those kids having been coached by Mike for the last 18 months. He instilled in them the desire and ability to succeed, and the fact that they were able to come together after his unexpected departure and run the table was evidence of how great of a job he had done in molding these young men into a team.”

The 2011 Atlantic Coast Rugby League season will conclude on Saturday, as #6 North Carolina (6-0) rematches with #10 Maryland (5-1) in the conference championship game in Charlotte, NC. The ACRL Championship is presented by World Rugby Shop®, adidas®, and the Charlotte RFC. The game will feature a total of 13 players named to either the All-ACRL First Team or Honorable Mention. The winner will advance to the USA Rugby Division I Round of 16 next weekend in Bowling Green, OH to face #4 University of Florida.

The Atlantic Coast Rugby League is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Contact: Patrick Kane
Commissioner
Atlantic Coast Rugby League
acrl@varsityrugby.com

ACRL Co-Players of the Year: Alex Lee, North Carolina; Matias Cima, Maryland
ACRL Coach of the Year: Mike Groenewald, North Carolina

First Team All-ACRL
Prop: Sage Winn, Fr., Maryland
Prop: Jacob Rierson, Sr., North Carolina
Hooker: John Curtin, Sr., Virginia
Lock: Keith Sneddon, So., Maryland
Lock: Ron Pelkey, So., Virginia Tech
Loose Forward: Alex Lee, Sr., North Carolina
Loose Forward: Matt Pace, Jr., North Carolina St.
Loose Forward: Richard Hwang, Sr., Maryland
Scrumhalf: Tyler Thompson, Jr., Clemson
Flyhalf: Matias Cima, Fr., Maryland
Center: Matt Heitzer, Jr., Virginia Tech
Center: Julian Henderson, Jr., Virginia
Wing: Trevor Tanifum, Jr., Maryland
Wing: Matt Reilly, Fr., Maryland
Fullback: Johnny McMurray, So., Wake Forest

Honorable Mention All-ACRL
Prop: Abe Harman, Jr., North Carolina St.
Prop: Ty Pierce, So., Wake Forest
Hooker: Tyler Mattler, Sr., Clemson
Hooker: Nate Young, So., Georgia Tech
Lock: Walter Thorne, Sr., Virginia
Lock: Ben Mohar, Jr., North Carolina
Loose Forward: Robert Whelen, Sr., Georgia Tech
Loose Forward: Greg Moye, Jr., North Carolina
Scrumhalf: John Davis, Fr., Maryland
Scrumhalf: Rory Makhema, Fr., Duke
Flyhalf: Gregor Maclennan, Jr., North Carolina
Center: Evan Rose, Sr., North Carolina
Center: Phil Burcal, Sr., North Carolina St.
Center: Ryan Tacon, Fr., Wake Forest
Wing: Evan Burch, So., Virginia
Wing: Robbie Anthony, Fr., Clemson
Fullback: Brett Keyes, Sr., Virginia Tech

ACRL All-Academic Team
James Landau, Clemson, Jr., Electrical Engineering, 3.78 GPA
Jason Liao, Duke, Jr., Public Policy, 3.68 GPA
Alvin Chen, Georgia Tech, Sr., Mechanical Engineering, 4.0 GPA
Brandon Mosiman, North Carolina State, Sr., Civil Engineering, 4.0 GPA
Alik Belokopytov, North Carolina, So., Mathematics and Economics, 4.0 GPA
Hamilton Craig, Maryland, Jr., Government and Philosophy, 3.92 GPA
Jeff Perkowski, Virginia, Sr., Economics and Financial Mathematics, 3.906 GPA
Dave Wisda, Virginia Tech, So., Aerospace Engineering, 3.95 GPA
Brandon Turner, Wake Forest, Jr., Biophysics, 3.86 GPA

2011-04-20T13:09:00.001-07:00

Wake's Final ACRL Game Cancelled

2011-04-18T07:56:00.001-07:00

Wake Forest's game against the University of Virgina was cancelled this past weekend when the Virginia administration smartly cancelled all outdoor activities scheduled for Saturday due to the forecast of severe weather. The teams looked at various rescheduling possibilities, but field availability and academic commitments made rescheduling the match not feasible. With Duke's forfeit to Maryland this weekend, UVA's chances of playing in the ACRL Championship game were eliminated, and thus the match will be scored as a "no contest."

Wake Forest thus finishes the inaugural ACRL season with a 1-4 record. Although the results on the scoreboard were mostly disappointing, the team showed good development throughout the season and will be returning 11 of 15 regular starters next year.

Wake Loses Heartbreaker to Wolfpack

2011-04-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

Johnny McMurray's 21 points were not enough to lead Wake to victory.

North Carolina State scored a 98 meter try on the final play of the game to hand Wake Forest a heartbreaking 43-36 defeat in a thrilling match on Poteat Field.

The Demon Deacons continued their pattern of starting sluggishly, allowing the Wolpack to go up 14-0 in the first half. Wake failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities and a lack of discipline and poor ball handling plauged the young squad throughout the first forty minutes. Wake was also on the wrong end of some lucky bounces, as one of State's tries came when Wake captain Brendan Shea stole a Wolpack lineout, but the ball bounced directly into the State hooker's hands who went in untouched for a try.

After a fiery halftime speech from Shea, the Demon Deacons came out for the second half looking like a completely different team. Freshman center Ryan Tacon scored a try in the first minute of the half and junior wing Brandon Turner followed that up two minutes later with a long-range try of his own. Sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray converted both tries and suddenly the score was knotted at 14. Wake Forest kept its foot on the gas pedal and another converted try from Tacon a few minutes later put Wake in front 21-14. But Tacon tweaked his back on the play and on the ensuing series allowed a State player to break the line and touch down under the posts to tie the game at 21.

Ryan Tacon scored two tries for the second straight game.

The next 25 minutes were a back and forth affair, with Wake Forest's backline making numerous linebreaks and the Wolfpack forwards taking advantage of numerous Wake Forest penalties at the breakdown to quick tap and offload their way down the field. McMurray slotted a penalty goal to put Wake ahead 24-21, then followed that up with a converted try of his own to extend the lead to 31-21. State continued to press, however, and another try from the Wolfpack forwards brought them back with striking distance at 31-28. With ten minutes remaining, McMurray struck again with his second try of the day, but was unable to convert from the sideline and the score stood at 36-28.

Wake Forest was repeatedly penalized for high tackles on the driving Wolfpack forwards.

The last ten minutes of of the match were filled with excitement, as North Carolina State wore down the Demon Deacons with tremendous forward play, while Wake was continually pinged for infringements by the referee. A Wolfpack try with 5 minutes to play brought the score to 36-33 and a penalty goal a moment later tied the score at 36. With time running down, NC State looked to go ahead, but a pass that would have resulted in the winning try was ruled forward by the referee and with no time remaining on the clock, Wake Forest was awarded a scrum at their own 22 meter line. With overtime looming, Wake decided to take the chance of attacking wide. A nifty backline movement put McMurray into space and the sophomore fullback chipped over the State fullback. The ball came to rest two meters from the tryline, with both State players and Wake players in a mad rush to secure possession. The referee called a penalty on Wake, and the Wolfpack immediately quick-tapped and moved downfield. The State winger broker free, but was dragged down from behind about 20 meters out by Turner. The referee called yet another penalty on Wake, and another heads up quick-tap allowed State to go in for game-winning try. The hearbreaking loss sends Wake's record in conference play to 1-4, while NC State improves to 2-3. Wake Forest will travel to Charlottesville, VA this weekend for the final match of the 2011 ACRL season against 4-1 Virginia.

Wake Lineup vs NC State

1. Ty Pierce, So.
2. Jeff Millar, Jr.
3. Nick Conte, Jr. (Bryce Lambert, Fr. @ 65)
4. Christian Jewett, Sr.
5. Ross Hilton, Sr.
6. James Watson, Fr. (Liam McIntyre, Fr. @ 15)
7. Brendan Shea, Jr.
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.
9. Will Hank, Jr.
10. Rob Kelly, So.
11. Brandon Turner, Jr.
12. Ben Cohen, Jr.
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr. (Steve McMillen, Sr. @ 50)
14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.
15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Tries: Tacon (2), Turner, McMurray (2)
Conversions: McMurray (4)
Penalties: McMurray

2011-04-06T13:01:00.001-07:00

Wake Earns First Ever ACRL Victory

2011-04-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

Johnny McMurray scored 16 of Wake's points against Georgia Tech

It wasn't pretty, and at times was downright ugly, but Wake Forest defeated Georgia Tech yesterday 31-22 for its first win in the inaugural season of the Atlantic Coast Rugby League.

Wake started off the game well and it looked like it would be a blowout. Freshman center Ryan Tacon scored a converted try in the second minute of the game, and senior #8 Hunter Lostan followed up with a try in the corner for a 12-0 lead. But slowly Wake Forest began to lose discipline and abandoned all semblance of structure in their play. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech played a very effective forwards oriented game and bullied in a try to bring the score to 12-5. Sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray struck back with a converted try to extend the lead to 19-5, but Georgia Tech dominated the remainder of the half and powered in two more tries to bring the score to 19-15 at the break.

The second half started off exactly how the first half had started, with solid phase play from Wake Forest leading to a converted try from Tacon, and the lead was extended to 26-15. The Yellow Jackets continued their effective strategy of attacking with their forwards off the base of rucks, and Wake Forest's porous defense allowed the Tech forwards to gain 10-15 meters at a time. Another Georgia Tech try coming off a stolen scrum brought the score to 26-22. The Demon Deacons struck back with a nice try coming from sophomore flyhalf Rob Kelly sending a perfectly weighted kick into the tryzone where it was touched down by McMurray. With Wake's lead at 31-22, the play from both teams deteriorated and the final 10 minutes were filled with knockons, poor tackling and decision-making, and ugly set pieces. Wake prevented GT from scoring with good defense from wing Brandon Turner and then from wing Wes Bloomer, and when the final whistle blew, Wake had held on for the 31-22 win.

"A win is a win, and we definitely needed a win," said Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane. "But when the guys watch the film, they are going to see that for the most part they played as 15 individuals and not as a team. All credit to Georgia Tech for implementing a game plan that suited their strengths and took advantage of our weaknesses, but the bottom line is that selfishness and lack of discipline from our players allowed this to be a much closer game than it should have been. If we play like this next week against NC State, our winning streak will end at one."

Wake Forest plays NC State next weekend at home. The game will kick off at 1 pm. The Demon Deacons and Wolfpack are both 1-3 and looking to climb up in the ACRL standings. Wake Forest Lineup vs Georgia Tech

1. Ty Pierce, So. (Bryce Lambert, Fr. @ 60)

2. Jeff Millar, Jr.

3. Christian Jewett, Sr.

4. Brendan Shea, Jr.

5. Ross Hilton, Sr.

6. James Watson, Fr.

7. Liam McIntyre, Fr. (Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 50)

8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

9. Will Hank, Jr.

10. Rob Kelly, So.

11. Brandon Turner, Jr. (Wes Bloomer, So. @ 75)

12. Ben Cohen, Jr. (Steve McMillen, Sr. @ 60)

13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Tries: Tacon (2), Lostan, McMurray (2)

Con: McMurray (3)

Game with Georgia Tech Moved to Furman University

2011-03-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Junior Brandon Turner scored three tries in Wake's last meeting with Georgia Tech in October 2009

Wake Forest's game with Georgia Tech on Saturday has been moved to Furman University in Greenville, SC. The forecast of three days of heavy rains and the already compromised condition of Poteat Field led to the difficult decision to move the game location. "We were really looking forward to playing Georgia Tech on campus and in front of a good home crowd," said senior Christian Jewett. "But Furman has a fantastic rugby facility and it is always great to play there."

Wake Forest will be looking for its first ever ACRL victory and its fourth consecutive win over the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech was the opponent for one of the most memorable games in Wake Forest history, a three overtime sudden death victory for the Demon Deacons in the 2008 South Division 2 Final Four. Kickoff will be at 11am.

Wake Forest Leaves Blacksburg Still Seeking First ACRL Win

2011-03-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest lost to Virginia Tech 37-12 in cold and snowy conditions in Blacksburg, VA on Saturday to drop to 0-3 in the ACRL. As has been the case in each of its first 3 league games, Wake gave up a try in the first 5 minutes, as the referee awarded the Hokies a try in the corner despite it appearing that the Tech player did not ground the ball. Moments later a defensive miscommunication in the midfield allowed a break by the Hokie outside center who touched down under the posts and Wake was down 12-0. Virginia Tech used superior size in the forwards to dominate the scrum and control possession and another try and penalty goal by Virginia Tech saw Wake in a 20-0 hole 30 minutes into the game.

The scoreline, however, did not reflect the way Wake was playing, and eventually Wake's backline started clicking and sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray got Wake on the board with a try in the corner. That was quickly followed by another break from Wake's backline, ending with sophomore flyhalf Rob Kelly scoring under the posts. McMurray's conversion brought the score to 20-12 at the half and Wake looked to have some life.

Virginia Tech made some adjustments in the second half and were determined to retain possession and keep the ball away from Wake's backline. The Hokies kept possession in the forwards and dominated territory and possession for much of the second half. Tech muscled in three more tries in the half, and although Wake Forest did make some good breaks, they were always attacking from long-range and were never able to finish anything off.

Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane was disappointed with the result, but said that despite the scoreline, it was the best game that the Demon Deacons had played yet this season. "After Clemson and Maryland we identified some big problems that we needed to address. We worked hard on fixing these and I think we have improved immensely in those areas. The things we need to fix now are the little things-that last pass to put a winger away, the decision to keep ball in hand rather than kick away a good attacking opportunity. The talent and desire are there, and I'm encouraged going into the second half of the ACRL season that we will get a few in the win column."

For the third consecutive game, Wake Forest used a different halfback combination and finally seem to have found the right one, with junior Will Hank at scrumhalf and sophomore Kelly at flyhalf. "Will played the best I've ever seen him play at #9," said Kane. "Some of that can be traced to the forwards working hard to get him cleaner ball at the rucks, but it also comes from him getting more familiar with the position and handling the pressure that comes with it."

Wake Forest finds itself 0-3 in the ACRL and out of playoff competition. The ACRL schedule certainly did not do the Demon Deacons any favors, as they opened with three teams ranked in the RugbyMag top 25. Next weekend Wake Forest will play at home against Georgia Tech with readjusted goals for the remainder of the season. Team captain Ross Hilton commented, "We want to finish the season at .500 and prepare the team for the future in the process. We had 9 freshmen and 3 sophomores play in the varsity game yesterday. Our job as seniors now is to make sure we help these young players improve as much as possible over the next three weeks."

Wake Forest Varsity vs Virginia Tech

1. Ty Pierce, So. (Bryce Lambert, Fr. @ 55)
2. Jeff Millar, Jr.
3. Nick Conte, Jr.
4. Christian Jewett, Sr.
5. Brendan Shea, Jr. (Paul Shumaker, Fr. @ 73)
6. James Watson, Fr.
7. Ross Hilton, Sr. (Liam McIntyre, Fr. @ 50, Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 65)
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr. (Matt Gray, Fr. @ 65)
9. Will Hank, Jr.
10. Rob Kelly, So.
11. Brandon Turner, Jr.
12. Ben Cohen, Jr.
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.
14. Drew Chadwick, Sr. (Franco Cima, Fr. @ 70)
15. Johnny McMurray, So. (Sean Barrett, Fr. @ 75)

Tries: McMurray, Kelly
Con: McMurray

The Junior Varsity game saw Wake Forest beat handily by a solid Virginia Tech JV side. Some of the few highlights for the Demon Deacons were the play of sophomore center Wes Bloomer, who made multiple linebreaks and scored a try in only his second ever rugby game, and the play of freshman lock Robert Elmore, who fought through bruised ribs to play a solid defensive game and was a force in the lineout. Freshman hooker Bryce Lambert also played well in the set pieces and in loose play.

Terrapins Defeat Wake 33-10, Deacons drop to 0-2 in ACRL

2011-03-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

Despite playing with a man advantage for 30 minutes courtesy of three Maryland yellow cards, Wake Forest was unable to find an offensive rythym for the second weekend in a row and lost 33-10 to a skilled Terrapin side.

Wake found temselves on the defensive for most of the first 20 minutes, as Maryland played inside Wake's 22 and kept repeatedly threatening the Wake Forest line with nifty backline plays orchestrated by their talented flyhalf. Eventually Wake's defense broke and Maryland went in for a score in the corner to take a 5-0 lead. A few moments later, playing with advantage on a Wake penalty, Maryland went in under the posts to stretch the lead to 12-0. To score stayed that way as Wake began to play some better rugby, but another linebreak by the Maryland centers stretched the lead to 19-0. Wake Forest had the lion's share of possession and momentum in the last 10 minutes of the half, and finally got on the board through a Johnny McMurray penalty goal after a Terrapin was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements. The half ended 19-3 with Wake showing signs of life and looking to take advantage of a strong tailwind in the second half.

The second forty began with Maryland's restart not going ten meters, but from the ensuing center scrum the Terrapins stole the put-in and strung together a few quick phases and were in under the posts to kill any momentum Wake had and go up 26-10. Wake managed to play some decent rugby for the remainer of the match, and freshman wing Franco Cima scored a well-earned try to bring Wake to within 26-10. But penalties, turnovers, and general lack of structure prevented the Demon Deacons from ever really threatening to get back in the game. Maryland's outside center went in under the posts near full time, and the final was 33-10 to Maryland. The Terrapins now move to 1-1 in conference play, while Wake falls to 0-2.

Wake will next be off for the next two weekends, before facing a formidable Virginia Tech team in Blacksburg on March 26. The game is a must win for Wake if they are to have any shot at playing for the ACRL Championship.

Wake Forest Varsity vs Maryland

1. Ty Pierce, So.

2. Jeff Millar, Jr. (Chris Ryan, Jr. @ 40)

3. Nick Conte, Jr.

4. Christian Jewett, Sr.

5. Brendan Shea, Jr.

6. Matt McCurdy, Fr.

7. Ross Hilton, Sr.

8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

9. Will Hank, Jr.

10. Ben Cohen, Jr. (Rob Kelley, So. @ 62)

11. Liam McIntyre, Fr. (Franco Cima, Fr. @ 40)

12. James Watson, Fr.

13. Steve McMillen, Sr. (Drew Mehrmann, So. @ 65)

14. Sean Barrett, Fr.

15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Tries: Cima

Con: McMurray

Pen: McMurray

Feature on Wake Rugby on Wake Website

2011-03-03T07:01:00.001-08:00

http://news.wfu.edu/2011/03/03/men%E2%80%99s-rugby-scores-big/

Wake Opens Conference Play with Loss at Clemson

2011-02-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

On a perfect night for rugby in Clemson, SC, Wake Forest opened its Atlantic Coast Rugby League season with a frustrating 34-10 loss to the Clemson Tigers. Wake Forest was plagued all night by turnovers, specifically at the breakdown, and Clemson took quick advantage of turnover ball, with four tries coming directly from Wake Forest failing to retain possession in the tackle.

Clemson's first try came when senior wing Drew Chadwick lost the ball in contact and it squirted into the hands of the Tigers' speedy wing who sped 30 meters untouched into the tryzone. The conversion was missed and Clemson lead 5-0. Clemson struck again after a disorganized Wake offensive possession led to Clemson turning over sophomore Drew Merhmann. Three quick passes later, and Clemson's wing was in for his second of the night. This time the conversion was good and Wake trailed 12-0 midway through the first half.

Wake Forest had the bulk of possession for the remainder of the half, but squandered numerous scoring opportunities. Fullback Steve McMillen broke a 50 meter run down the sideline but was left without support after a try-saving tackle by a Clemson back and the opportunity was wasted. Twice Wake Forest lost possession less than 5 meters from Clemson's tryline and Clemson was able to clear the danger. The halftime whistle sounded with Clemson holding a 12-0 lead.

The second half opened with neither team gaining much of an advantage in either possession or territory. But Wake soon began exhibiting its poor habits from the first half and two turnovers resulted in two quick Clemson tries and Wake facing a daunting 22-0 deficit. With the game seemingly in hand, Wake was able to finally cross the tryline, as flyhalf Ben Cohen made a nice looping run to touchdown in the corner and bring the score to 22-5. Any hopes of a Wake comeback were dashed, however, by some spectacular play by Clemson's scrumhalf. His sniping runs off the base of the ruck and scrum resulted in two more tries and an insurmountable 34-5 lead for the Tigers. Wake Forest managed a consolation try at full time from freshman center Ryan Tacon to make the final 34-10.

"The game I think was probably closer than the score would indicate," said Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane. "There's no question that the difference was our turnovers in the tackle and Clemson's impressive ability to immediately take advantage of the opportunities we gave them. The good thing is that our problems from Friday are fixable, and you can rest assured that we'll be working all week to fix them before we face Maryland this weekend."

Wake senior Ross Hilton was very complimentary of Clemson after the match. "I think our team now is much improved over the team we had last year that beat Clemson in Carolinas League play. So the fact that they beat us like that tonight shows how much better they've gotten over the past year. We need to learn from this loss and then put it behind us and look forward. If things go right, maybe we'll get another shot at these guys down the road."

Wake Forest Varsity vs Clemson

1. Ty Pierce, So.
2. Jeff Millar, Jr. (Chris Ryan, Jr. @ 70)
3. Nick Conte, Jr.
4. Brendan Shea, Jr.
5. Christian Jewett, Sr.
6. Drew Mehrmann, So. (Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 40)
7. Ross Hilton, Sr.
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.
9. Johnny McMurray, So.
10. Ben Cohen, Jr.
11. Drew Chadwick, Sr. (Jim Kavalec, So. @ 65)
12. James Watson, Fr. (Franco Cima, Fr. @ 40)
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.
14. Brandon Turner, Jr.
15. Steve McMillen, Sr.

Tries: Cohen, Tacon

In a shortened Junior Varsity game, Wake Forest exacted some measure of revenge with a 19-0 victory. Tries were scored by junior scrumhalf Will Hank, freshman lock Matt McCurdy, and freshman wing Sean Barrett.

Wake Forest takes on University of Maryland on Saturday as the featured match during Wake's annual High School Rugby Showcase. Kickoff will be at 2pm. Maryland is coming off a last minute heartbreaking 23-20 loss at North Carolina, so both teams will be pressing to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play.

Wake Forest Men's Rugby Season Preview

2011-02-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest Enters ACRL Play With Determination

The Wake Forest men's rugby team will play its inaugural Atlantic Coast Rugby League game tomorrow night against Clemson, who is undefeated and ranked #15 in the country in Division I by Rugby Magazine. This will be the first ever official Division I game for the Demon Deacons, who only 4 years ago were a Division III team.

Wake comes into the season with an excellent mix of veteran leadership and talented newcomers. The forwards will be lead by seniors Ross Hilton (lock), Christian Jewett (lock), and Hunter Lostan (#8), and the pack will be bolstered by the return of junior flanker/lock Brendan Shea, who played all of last year at flyhalf after injuries ravaged the Wake Forest backline.

Ty Pierce will lead from the front at Tighthead Prop

Sophomore Ty Pierce, who gained invaluable experience playing for the South U-20 select side in November will be the first choice at loosehead prop, while junior Nick Conte will anchor the scrum at tighthead. Jeff Millar will try to fill the shoes of graduated four year starter Mike Duffy at hooker. Juniors Chris Ryan and Justen Robinette, sophomore Matt Tucker, and talented freshman Bryce Lambert provide front row depth.

Hilton, Jewett, and Shea will rotate in the second row, with freshmen Matt McCurdy, Matt Gray, Robert Elmore, and Paul Shumaker all improving and pushing for playing time.

The youth movement continues in the loose forwards, where freshman McCurdy and Liam McIntyre, and sophomore Drew Mehmann will all see time with the first side.

Wake Forest boasts two excellent scrumhalves in sophomore Johnny McMurray and junior Will Hank. McMurray was a full time starter at fullback last year and will likely play both 9 and 15 this spring. McMurray and Hank will be feeding the ball to junior flyhalf Ben Cohen. After missing his entire sophomore year due to injury, Cohen has shown signs of brilliance at #10, including a game winning chip and chase try in Wake Forest's preseason victory against University of Mary Washington last weekend. Cohen will be ably backed up by sophomore Rob Kelly, who donned the #10 jersey for Wake during the fall season while Cohen rehabbed.

The stregnth of the Wake Forest team most definitely lies in its centers and outside backs. Freshman James Watson and sophomore Jim Kavalec, both also players on the Wake Forest ice hockey team, are powerful runners who will see time at inside center. Freshmen Ryan Tacon will anchor the backline at outside center, while seniors Drew Chadwick and Steve McMillen and junior Brandon Turner comprise a back three loaded with pace. Turner also joined Ty Pierce on the U-20 South team in November. Meanwhile, freshman Franco Cima, a former age-grade European sprint record holder, is an attacking force who can and will play anywhere from 11 to 15. Freshmen Sean Barrett, Steven Hemric, and Drew Ammons are all solid newcomers who add considerable depth to an already deep and talented Wake Forest backline.

Freshman Center Ryan Tacon on the run against South Carolina

As was seen in Wake Forest's late fall exhibition results (losses to South Carolina and North Carolina State), the Demon Deacons struggled to play to their stregnths against bigger, more physical opponents. A rigourous offseason stregnth and conditioning program will hopefully close the gap in this regard-stregnth and conditioning coach Trent Justice was mostly pleased with the work put in by the players over semester break-but the ACRL schedule does the Demon Deacons no favors as they begin with three straight games against nationally ranked opponents (#15 Clemson, #14 Maryland, and #18 Virginia Tech). Said head coach Patrick Kane, "We will know right away if we have a realistic shot at winning this league. Go at least 2-1 in our first three game and we're in good shape. Anything less than that, and we'll need some serious luck and help from other teams to finish in the top 2 and make the ACRL Championship game in Charlotte."

The "Road to Charlotte" kicks off tomorrow at 8pm. Follow realtime score updates on Twitter at http://twitter.com/WakeForestRugby.

Details Set for Annual Wake Forest High School Rugby Showcase

2011-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

High School All-American Jack McAuliffe leads a powerhouse Gonzaga team into Winston-Salem.

The Fourth Annual Wake Forest High School Rugby Showcase is set for March 5-6 on the campus of Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. Returning to the Showcase from last year are 2010 USA High School National Championship Runner-Up Gonzaga College High School (Washington D.C.), Hyde Leadership Charter School (Washington, D.C.), and the East Chapel Hill Highlanders. Filling out the Showcase are Catholic High School from Charlotte, NC, who finished 4th in the country in the 2010 USA Rugby High School National Championships, Matthews U-19 (Matthews, NC) and Triad U-19 (Greensboro, NC). The feature match of the weekend will be an Atlantic Coast Rugby League contest between Wake Forest and the University of Maryland.

The schedule for the weekend is as follows:

Sat. Mar. 5:

9am- Hyde A vs Catholic A
10:30- Gonzaga B vs Catholic B
12pm- Hyde B v. Matthews U-19 B
2pm- Wake Forest Varsity v. Maryland Varsity
3:30pm- Wake Forest JV v Maryland JV
4:30pm- East Chapel Hill vs Gonzaga A

Sun. Mar. 6:

8:30am: Hyde A v East Chapel Hill
10am: Gonzaga A vs Catholic A
11:30am: Gonzaga B vs Triad

Wake Forest Sloppy, but Victorious, against University of Mary Washington

2011-02-20T09:45:00.001-08:00

A late try from junior flyhalf Ben Cohen allowed Wake Forest to escape with a 26-21 victory over a young, but well-coached and physical side from University of Mary Washington on a windy Saturday in Fredricksburg, VA.

Wake Forest started out the game in dominant fashion, racing out to a 14-0 lead behind converted tries from sophomore scrumhalf Johnny McMurray and senior #8 Hunter Lostan. But mental mistakes and an inability to stop the powerful Mary Washington forwards saw the Demon Deacons actually trailing 21-14 midway through the second half. A try from junior wing Brandon Turner in the corner brought Wake to within 2. The final ten minutes were played inside Wake's attacking third, and finally, with five minutes remaining, Cohen spotted a gap in the UMW backline, chipped through and gathered in the ball to go in untouched under the posts to give Wake the lead and ultimately the win.

Coach Kane said of the match, "Mary Washington was very physical, and we have a tendency to struggle against those types of teams. They attacked well with their forwards off the fringes of the breakdown, and we didn't defend well. After the first 20 minutes, when we were dictating style of play, they started asserting their style and we never got comfortable in our attacking pattern again. We will look at the video and see what we can fix before our ACRL opener in Clemson on Friday."

Wake Forest Varsity Lineup vs UMW

1. Ty Pierce, So.
2. Jeff Millar, Jr.
3. Nick Conte, Jr.
4. Ross Hilton, Sr. (Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 60)
5. Christian Jewett, Sr.
6. Drew Mehrmann, So. (Liam McIntyre, Fr. @ 40)
7. Brendan Shea, Jr.
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.
9. Johnny McMurray, So.
10. Ben Cohen, Jr.
11. Drew Chadwick, Sr.
12. Jim Kavalec, So. (Franco Cima, Fr. @ 40, James Watson, Fr. @ 50)
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.
14. Brandon Turner, Jr.
15. Robert Kelley, So. (Will Hank, Jr. @ 65)

Tries: McMurray, Lostan, Turner, Cohen
Conv. McMurray (3)

The JV match featured even more of an exciting finish than the varsity match, with freshman Drew Ammons scoring a try in the corner in sudden death overtime to give Wake Forest a 36-31 win. UMW's JV side had scored a converted try on the last play of regulation to tie the game at 31 apiece, and the teams agreed to play it out in overtime. Wake Forest had two tries from freshman Ammons, as well as tries from freshmen Liam McIntyre, James Watson, and Alex Rosell. Freshman wing Sean Barrett hit 3 of 5 conversions.

Wake Forest plays Clemson on the road on Friday night in the first ever ACRL game for both teams.

Wake Forest Picked to Finish 6th in ACRL Coaches Poll

2011-02-20T09:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.rugbyamerica.org/2011/02/18/2011-atlantic-coast-rugby-league-preview/

Wake Rugby Completes Preseason Training Weekend

2011-01-31T13:32:00.000-08:00

The Wake Forest men's rugby team completed a weekend long training camp this past weekend to jumpstart its spring season. The weekend began on Friday afternoon when the team Welcomed 45 kids from the High Point Boys and Girls Club to Wake Forest for a rugby clinic. The clinic participants, aging from 8 to 11 years old learned basic passing and kicking skills, played some modified touch rugby, and all took part in lineout demonstrations. Overall the clinic, organized by junior Brandon Turner, was a great success and the kids and players all had a great time.

After the clinic on Friday evening, the team gathered for a team dinner and prepared for a grueling day of Saturday training. Saturday consisted of a 3 hour morning practice, followed by a mid-afternoon weightlifting session. On Saturday evening the team had multiple classroom sessions, including an hour-long session with professional nutritionist Natalie Duryea, who lectured on proper hydration and pre and post-workout diets.

On Sunday morning the team had another fitness session and the training camp concluded on Sunday afternoon with a joint practice and scrimmage with players and coaches from UNC-Greensboro.

The weekend, although tiring, was a great experience. The team identified its strengths and weaknesses, learned alot, and had a fair amount of fun in the process.

Next Sunday Wake will scrimmage fellow ACRL member University of North Carolina. Because of the unbalanced league schedule, the Demon Deacons and Tar Heels will not face each other in league play this season.

New ACRL Logo Unveiled

2011-01-28T09:04:00.001-08:00

New ACRL Website

2011-01-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

www.atlanticcoastrugby.com

Wake Ruggers Help North Carolina to Two Victories at Carolina Collegiate Challenge

2010-11-17T19:53:00.001-08:00

The North Carolina Rugby Union Men's Collegiate All-Star program went 2-0 on Sunday against the Palmetto Rugby Union Men's Collegiate All-Stars at John Roberts Field at Furman University. Seven Wake Forest players represented the NCRU with Wake sophomore Sal Scifo captaining the NCRU Emerging side from openside flanker to a 16-15 thriller over Palmetto's Emerging side. Scifo was a late addition to the team when Wake freshman Ryan Tacon had to withdraw with illness. Scifo was joined on the Emerging side by teammates Todd McFadden, Ty Pierce, Matt McCurdy and Tim Zage. McCurdy and Zage, typically flankers, played all 80 minutes in the midfield for the Emerging side and performed admirably.

In the Elite game, Wake Forest was represented by freshman flanker Liam McIntyre and junior wing Brandon Turner. The Elite side ran out 46-19 winners over Palmetto Elite in a game that was never really close. One of the game's highlights came early in the second half when McIntyre made a break from inside the NCRU 22, drew two defenders on the sideline and off-loaded neatly to supporting flyhalf Graham Joseph (UNC-W) for a beautifully worked try. Pierce came on as a reserve in the Elite game.

In all it was a very successful weekend for all the NCRU players who attended the camp. The coaching throughout the weekend was fantastic, with the NCRU's Jeremy Linne and Josh Sutcliffe and Palmetto's Nigel Platt and Geoff Mason lending their expertise to all the players. A special thanks is necessary for John Roberts of Furman and Nigel Platt of Palmetto for organizing the weekend. The Wake Forest participants all returned to Winston-Salem as much better players for the experience and Turner and Pierce will look to carry their newly-refined skills into their match with the South U-20 program on November 28 in Atlanta against the New South Wales U-20s. The rest of the Wake players return to their off-season workouts in preparation for the challenging ACRL season that awaits them in the spring.

Pierce and Turner Named to South U-20 Side for International Match

2010-11-12T05:55:00.001-08:00

Ty Pierce in action against UNC in Spring 2010

Wake Forest players Ty Pierce and Brandon Turner have been selected to play for a South U-20 College Select Side that will play the New South Wales U-20 side on November 28 on the campus of Kennesaw State University outside of Atlanta, GA. The New South Wales team is tourning the Southeastern United States for 2 weeks and is playing a number of matches. Pierce and Turner are joined by fellow North Carolina players Graham Joseph from UNC-Wilmington and Drew Zabor from Appalachian State. The full roster for the South U-20 side is below:

Jarrod Neser, Georgia Southern
Michael Sapp, Alabama
Jed Hannaford, Ole Miss
Devin Vaughter, Mid. Tenn. St.
Ty Pierce, Wake Forest
Graham Joseph, UNC-W
Edward Mienie, Kennesaw St.
James Morrow, Kennesaw St.
Brandon Turner, Wake Forest
Michael Moore, Mid. Tenn. St.
Cian Coakley, Georgia Tech
Will Farrell, Georgia
Dan Sammons, Florida St.
Nick Evans, Tennessee
Sammy Anderson, Tennessee
Drew Zabor, Appalachain St.
Dillon Sauerwein, Arkansas St.
Zack Mobius, Tennessee
Charlie Hutchings, Tampa
Martin Van der Westhuiz, Arkansas St.
Brendon Aitken, Arkansas St.
Jon Cali, Greenville

Final NCRU College All-Star Selections Named

2010-11-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Former U-20 Eagle Matt Hughston Leads a Talented Group of NCRU College Players to Furman this Weekend

The North Carolina Rugby Union's College All-Star program has finalized the 34 man roster that will attend the Carolinas Challenge this weekend at Furman University in Greenville, SC. The weekend will consist of joint and individual training sessions with the NCRU and Palmetto Rugby Union Squads, a Saturday night banquet, and games on Sunday between the NCRU and Palmetto Emerging sides and the NCRU and Palmetto Elite sides. Notably missing from the NCRU selections are any players from University of North Carolina and Appalachian State University. A total of 14 players from those teams were invited to participate and all declined the opportunity. The NCRU team is led by Head Coach Jeremy Linne (UNC-G), Forwards Coach Josh Sutcliffe (UNC-G) and Backs Coach Mike Groeneweld (UNC).

NCRU 2010 College All-Stars

Mark Addison, Prop, NCSU
Mark Williams, Prop, UNCW
Ty Pierce, Prop, WFU
Corey Valentine, Prop, ECU
Shane Kelly, Prop, UNCG
Stephen Bahner, Hooker, NCSU
Jared Walklet, Hooker, UNCW
Matt McCurdy, Lock, WFU
Kurt Kochanski, Lock, UNCW
Eddie Youngs, Lock, NCSU
Pat LaPaglia, Lock, ECU
Kyle Waters, Lock, UNCW
Tim Zage, Flanker, WFU
Liam McIntyre, Flanker, WFU
Omar Rutti, Flanker, ECU
Matt Pace, Flanker, NCSU
Steven Sredzienski, Flanker, UNCW
Colin Fadero, #8, ECU
Andrew Birch, #8, NCSU
Crawford Miller, Scrumhalf, UNCG
Max Coar, Scrumhalf, Duke
Shane McBride, Scrumhalf, ECU
Will Teague, Flyhalf, NCSU
Graham Joseph, Flyhalf, UNCW
Matt Hughston, Center, ECU
Ryan Tacon, Center, WFU
Justin Bourgeois, Center, ECU
Brad Welch, Center, Duke
Brandon Turner, Wing, WFU
Matt Aronowitz, Wing, UNCG
Todd McFadden, Wing, WFU
Tom Luciano, Wing, Duke
Uki Dean, Fullback, Duke
Eric Vozzo, Fullback, ECU

Wake Forest Players Selected for North Carolina Rugby Union All-Star Program

2010-11-07T05:09:00.001-08:00

Ryan Tacon, one of four Wake freshmen selected for the

NCRU All-Star program, breaks away for a try against USC earlier in the season

Seven Wake Forest players have been selected to attend the joint North Carolina Rugby Union and Palmetto Rugby Union College All-Star camp next weekend at Furman University in Greenville, SC. Junior Brandon Turner, sophomores Ty Pierce and Todd McFadden, and freshmen Liam McIntyre, Ryan Tacon, Matt McCurdy, and Tim Zage were all invited to attend the weekend long camp, which will consist of consist of fitness testing, joint training sessions with the Palmetto Rugby Union All-Stars, and NCRU team specific training on Saturday, followed by games on Sunday between the NCRU Emerging All-Stars and the Palmetto Emerging All-Stars at 10am and the NCRU Elite All-Stars vs. Palmetto Elite All-Stars at 12pm. Former South College All-Star coaches Vince Atkinson and Wright Henry will be in attendence to run the joint training sessions, while the NCRU team will be lead by UNC-G's Jeremy Linne (Head Coach) and Josh Sutcliffe (Asst. Coach-Forwards), and UNC's Mike Groeneweld (Asst. Coach-Backs). The Palmetto team is coached by Nigel Platt, also a former South College All-Star coach and Geoff Mason, current head coach at University of South Carolina.

Wake Forest's Spring Schedule Released

2010-11-05T07:18:00.001-07:00

The Wake Forest men's rugby team's spring schedule has been finalized. The schedule features a scrimmage with the University of North Carolina, an exhibition match with Division 2 power University of Mary Washington, and six Atlantic Coast Rugby League games. The full schedule is below.

1/28-1/30 Preseason Camp
2/5 University of North Carolina (Scrimmage)
2/12 OFF
2/19 @ University of Mary Washington
2/26 @ Clemson
3/5 University of Maryland
3/12 OFF
3/19 OFF
3/26 @ Virginia Tech
4/2 Georgia Tech
4/9 North Carolina St.
4/16 @ University of Virginia
4/23 ACRL Championship

Brandon Turner Featured in Wake Forest University News

2010-11-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

http://news.wfu.edu/2010/11/01/mixing-it-up/

Wake Forest Adds New Coach for Spring Season

2010-10-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest men's rugby has announced that Rob Duryea has joined the team as an assistant coach. Duryea, a first year MBA student at Wake, has a close to 20 year history in rugby. He began playing when joining the Marines after graduating from the United States Naval Academy where he was a boxer. Duryea has played for multiple military sides since 1992 and was selected to the All-Marine team while stationed at Quantico in the mid-2000s. Duryea, a wing and fullback during his playing career, will be working primarily with the backline. Additionally, Duryea's wife, Natalie, is a professional dietitian and will be assisting the team with proper nutrition plans. Head coach Patrick Kane said, "Adding Rob to our coaching staff could not come at a better time. His rugby experience and knowledge is extensive and his military background will be essential in instilling much-needed discipline and toughness in our team."

Exhibition Season Ends on Sour Note

2010-10-31T13:30:00.000-07:00

(Kyle Rae O'Donnell photo)

Wake Forest's Fall 2010 exhibition season ended on Saturday with a 29-10 loss to North Carolina State. As was the case the week before against South Carolina, Wake Forest struggled at the scrum and was besieged by penalties. Wake allowed the more physical Wolfpack to pound over 5 tries, while managing only a single try in the waning minutes by junior center Ben Cohen to go along with a first half penalty goal from sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray. Head coach Patrick Kane said of the game afterwards, "The point of playing these games in the fall is to improve as a team and individuals and identify what we need to work on going into the offseason. This game certainly highlighted the areas we need to focus on over the next 3 months." While the result was disappointing, the game did have some bright spots, including the return from injury of junior wing Brandon Turner and the emergence of sophomore wing Todd McFadden, a crossover athlete from the Wake Forest track team. "With Brandon, Todd, Drew Chadwick, and with Franco Cima joining us in January, I think we will have one of the fastest backlines in the ACRL," said Kane. "The question will be if we can win enough ball to utilize that speed and improve our defensive structure so we don't hemorrhage tries like we did against USC and NC State."

Wake Forest Lineup vs. NC State

1. Matt Storck, Sr.
2. Matt Tucker, So. (Matt McCurdy, Fr. @ 35)
3. Justen Robinett, Jr.
4. Ross Hilton, Sr.
5. Ty Pierce, So. (Tim Zage, Fr. @ 65)
6. Jack Zimmerman, Fr.
7. Brendan Shea, Jr.
8. Hunter Lostan, Sr. (Chris Ryan, Jr. @ 73)
9. Will Hank, Jr.
10. Rob Kelly, So.
11. Brandon Turner, Jr.
12. Ben Cohen, Jr.
13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.
14. Drew Chadwick, Sr. (Todd McFadden, So. @ 50)
15. Johnny McMurray, So.

Wake Struggles Against USC

2010-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest got beat handily on Saturday in an exhibition game with South Carolina. The Gamecocks were fitter and more physical than the Demon Deacons, using their hard-running forwards to create space for a talented backline. USC scored five tries in the first half, three coming directly from Wake Forest penalties inside their 22. Wake, meanwhile, could not find an offensive rythym and was constantly on the backfoot defensively. The Demon Deacons did manage two tries in the first stanza, one from sophomore scrumhalf Johnny McMurray after an excellent driving maul, and one from freshman center Ryan Tacon. McMurray converted both tries and also slotted a penalty goal for a personal tally of 12 first half points. The second half was more evenly contested, but Wake still struggled to stop the South Carolina forwards as they attacked off the fringes of the rucks. The Gamecocks ran in three more tries in the second forty, while Wake touched down two from juniors Brendan Shea and Ben Cohen.
Wake's fall exhibition season will end on Saturday when they take on the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh. Kickoff for the match is tentatively scheduled for 11am.

Wake Lineup vs USC

1. Matt Storck, Sr.

2. Jack Zimmerman, Fr.

3. Ty Pierce, So. (Justen Robinett, Jr. @ 60)

4. Matt McCurdy, Fr.

5. Ross Hilton, Sr.

6. Tim Zage, Fr. (Clarke Ryan, Fr. @ 60)

7. Brendan Shea, Jr.

8. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

9. Johnny McMurray, So.

10. Rob Kelly, So.

11. Jim Kavalec, So.

12. Matt Tucker, So. (Steve McMillen, Sr. @ 40)

13. Ryan Tacon, Fr.

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

15. Ben Cohen, Jr.

Nationally-Ranked Gamecocks Up Next For Wake Forest

2010-10-14T07:09:00.001-07:00

Fullback Johnny McMurray in action against USC in January

The Wake Forest men's rugby team takes a break from its fall exhibition schedule this weekend but will be back in action next weekend at home against the University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks are ranked #7 in the country in Division I-AA by American Rugby News and will provide by far the toughest test that the Demon Deacons have faced this fall. The last meeting between these teams was in January of this year when USC deafeated Wake 20-17 in the opening match of the Carolinas Rugby League season. The defeat left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Demon Deacon players who felt that they should have won the game. Although next week's game is simply an exhibition match, the Wake coaching staff views it as a measuring stick as to where the program is relative to other D1-AA competition leading into the spring ACRL season. Kickoff will be at 1pm on Poteat Field.

Alumni Challenged But Keep Perfect Record Intact

2010-10-10T15:36:00.001-07:00

The Wake Forest Rugby Alumni team moved their record to 4-0 in the 4th Annual Homcoming game, defeating the current Wake side 29-19. The alumni jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with tries by flanker Trent Justice, '10 and 8man Greg Wagner, '07. Both tries were converted by flyhalf Patrick Kane, JD '07.

Greg Wagner, '07 touches down a try after an 8man pick

The undergrads rebounded with a try from freshmen wing Ryan Tacon to make the score 14-5, but the Alumni responded with a try from wing Jordan Weiss to push the lead to 19-5. As the superior fitness of the undergrads began to show, freshmen Liam McIntyre touched down to bring the score to 19-12 after a tremendous touchline conversion by sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray.

Wake Alumni run a penalty play close to the Undergrads tryline

The Alumni extended their lead to 24-12 after a well-executed lineout play resulted in a try for flanker Andrew Gentles, '05.

The final 20 minutes of action saw the undergrads pressuring hard and the Alumni struggling to hang on. McMurray scored a spectacular individual try and slotted another touchline conversion to bring the undergrads within striking distance at 24-19. But a ball handling error inside the undergrad 22 resulted in a try for lock Christian Jewett, '1? and the Alumni side moved its all-time record to an unblemished 4-0.

Alumni lineup
1. Hien Nguyen, '07
2. Mike Duffy, '10
3. Ken Forte, '10
4. Christian Jewett, '1?
5. Adam Blincoe, '07
6. Trent Justice, '10
7. Andrew Gentles, '05
8. Greg Wagner, '07
9. Achilleas Patounas, '06
10. Patrick Kane, JD '07
11. Jordan Weiss, '06
12. Matt Gottbrecht, '09
13. David Buckingham, '07
14. David Hobson, '08
15. Perry Salvagne, '10
16. Dave Poplaski, '09
17. RI Smith, '10
18. Matt Farrell, '05 (DNP, Injured)
19. Rusty Hedrick, '07 (DNP, Injured)

Francesco Cima to Enroll at Wake Forest for Spring Semester

2010-10-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

Francesco Cima, an 18 yr old center/wing from the Marbella Rugby Club in Spain will enroll at Wake Forest in January and join the Demon Deacon rugby team. Cima, an accomplished soccer, rugby and track athlete who formerly held the U-17 Eurpoean record for the 100m, is the cousin of former High School All-American Matias Cima from Gonzaga. Matias is now the starting flyhalf for the University of Maryland, after choosing the Terps over Wake Forest last spring. "We were certainly disappointed when Matias chose not to come to Wake this fall, but I understand his reasons and why Maryland is a better fit for him right now," said Head Coach Patrick Kane. "But having his equally talented cousin now decide to come to Wake Forest certainly softens the blow of losing out on Matias. Francesco can play anywhere from 11-15 in the backline and he will be a tremendous addition to our team as we enter the first year of ACRL competition. But more importantly, the University is getting an incredibly smart and motivated young man who I can guarantee will be successful in the classroom."

Wake Forest's backline will be bolstered in the spring not only by the addition of Cima, but also by the return from injury of speedster wing Brandon Turner, who tore his ACL and meniscus playing for the North Carolina Rugby Union Collegiate All-Star team last November.

Brandon Turner and Ross Hilton Featured on Fox 8

2010-10-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.myfox8.com/videobeta/7050b051-a1be-4be6-98a2-653854c2206d/News/Wake-Forest-Rugby

Wake Looks Strong Against Tough UNC-Wilmington Team

2010-10-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Freshmen Ryan Tacon breaks away for one of his three tries

Wake Forest improved on its performance last weekend against Elon with a solid showing against UNC-Wilmington in an exhibition game on Saturday in Winston-Salem. Playing three 35 minute periods, Wake's first side backline contributed 5 tries in the first two periods, three coming from freshmen Ryan Tacon in his debut for the Demon Deacons. Junior forward Brendan Shea also touched down twice in the first 70 minutes. Sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray continued his excellent goalkicking converting 6 of Wake's 7 tries. Wake Forest's defense allowed a try by the Seahawks in each of the first two periods, but UNC-W came alive in the third stanza to outscore the Demon Deacons three tries to zero.

Next Saturday Wake Forest plays its annual alumni game. Kickoff will be at 12pm at Poteat Field with alumni reception to follow.

Wake Shows Well in Exhibition Against Elon

2010-09-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

Wake Forest outscored a young Elon side ten tries to one on a blistering hot day in Winston-Salem. The teams played three 30 minute periods with rolling substitutions. Wake's backline was in sync all afternoon, with centers Ben Cohen and Steve McMillen each scoring a pair of tries. Freshmen flanker Matt McCurdy and freshmen prop Bryce Lambert scored tries as well, as Wake's talented freshmen class continues to impress. Sophomore fullback Johnny McMurray was on target with the boot, going 8 of 9 on conversions. Wake will face a tough test next weekend when UNC-Wilmington visits Winston-Salem for another exhibition match.

Wake Opens XVs Exhibition Season with Game Against Elon

2010-09-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest will play its first XVs game of the 2010-2011 season tomorrow, kicking off against the Elon Phoenix at 1pm on Poteat Field. The two teams last met at the North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament in the Fall of 2008, when the Demon Deacons defeated the Phoenix 24-0.

Dr. Marcum Profiled For Work With Rugby Team in Wake Forest Business Magazine

2010-09-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Bill Marcum, who has served as the Wake Forest men's rugby team's faculty and academic advisor for the past five years, was recently profiled for his work with the rugby team in the Wake Forest Business Magazine. A copy of the article can be found here:

http://catalog.proemags.com/publication/bd5ff6ae#/bd5ff6ae/36

Wake Rugger Moving on to Medicine

2010-09-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest men's rugby legend Matt Gottbrecht has started at UMass Med School this fall. Gottbrecht continues to play with the Middlesex Barabrians while he studies to become a doctor. Gottbrecht joins Wake rugby alums Eric Jewett, '06 and David Hobson, '08 as Wake rugby grads entering into the medical profession.

Wake Finishes ACI with 3-3 Record, Loss in Challenger Division Final

2010-09-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest went 2-1 in pool play on the first day of the Atlantic Coast Invitational, but fell to Virginia in the Quarterfinals and finished with a win over Georgia Tech and a loss to Clemson to close out the tournament.

On the first day of play, Wake opened against the Clemson Tigers. Wake controlled most of the game, but had trouble finishing plays. Senior Steve McMillen carried the Demon Deacons on his back in the first half, touching down two tries to put Wake Forest up 14-0 at the half. But Clemson scored to start the second half and make it 14-7. Wake looked to put the game away when senior Drew Chadwick made a dazzling run to the tryzone, beating 4 Clemson defenders in the process, but he lost the ball forward in the tryzone, giving the Tigers some life. A sideline tackle by senior Matt Storck forced a knockon and preserved the win for the Demon Deacons.

Lineup vs Clemson

1. Ross Hilton, Sr.

2. Jack Zimmerman, Fr.

3. Hunter Lostan, Sr. (Matt Storck, Sr. @ 11)

9. Johnny McMurray, So.

10. Brendan Shea, Jr.

12. Steve McMillen, Sr. (Ryan Tacon, Fr. @ 7)

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

Wake's second game pitted them against the Florida St. Seminoles. Wake took control early, with senior Hunter Lostan scoring in the first minute of play to put the Demon Deacons up 5-0. Unfortunately, Lostan was injured while scoring the try and had to leave the game. Shortly thereafter, senior captain Ross Hilton left the field with what was later determined to be a broken ankle, and Wake was without it's two inpsirational senior leaders. FSU took advantage of the situation and reeled off 17 unanswered points to win the game 17-5.

Wake Lineup v. Florida St.

1. Ross Hilton, Sr. (Ty Pierce @ 2)

2. Liam McIntyre, Fr. (Jack Zimmerman @ 7)

3. Hunter Lostan (Ryan Tacon @ 2)

9. Johnny McMurray, So.

10. Brendan Shea, Jr.

12. Steve McMillen, Sr.

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

Wake's final game of the day was against the NC State Wolfpack, who had won their first two games of the day handily. With McMillen and Hilton out with inkuries, the Wake lineup was shuffled around with Will Hank coming in at scrumhalf, McMurray moving to flyhalf, and Shea moving to prop. The revamped lineup played exceptionally, and with tries from McMurray and Chadwick, Wake came out on top 14-7.

Wake Lineup v. NC St.

1. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

2. Jack Zimmerman, Fr.

3. Brendan Shea, Jr.

9. Will Hank, Jr.

10. Johnny McMurray, So.

12. Ryan Tacon, Fr. (Matt Storck, Sr.)

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

Wake's win over NC St. meant that Wake, FSU, and NC State all finished pool play tied for first with 2-1 records. Tiebreak rules meant that NC State got the first seed out of the pool, FSU got the second seed, and Wake got the 3rd seed. Wake would therefore face the second seed from the opposite pool, University of Virginia, in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

With McMillen and Hilton ruled out for Sunday with injury, Wake went into its game with UVA undermanned but confident. A try by Jack Zimmerman in the first minute put Wake up 7-0, but UVA answered back with two tries to take a 10-7 lead at the half. The first 6 minutes of the second half were dominated by Wake Forest, as the Demon Deacons executed their best rugby of the season. But they only got 5 points out of it through a try by Chadwick. With less than a minute remaining, Wake led 12-10 and looked poised to advance to the semifinals. But a break by the Virginia wing resulted in a 5 meter scrum to Wake just outside their own tryzone. After winning the scrum, Wake kicked the ball downfield. The Virginia wing gathered the kick and raced towards the tryzone. Wake was whistled for a high tackle penalty, and on the ensuing quicktap, UVA barged into the tryzone to take the lead 15-12. A tremendous conversion put the Cavs up 17-12 with only one play left in the game. Wake received the kickoff and tried to attack for the game-tying try, but a missed pass allowed UVA to pounce on a loose ball in the tryzone to end the game with a try and a final score of 24-12.

Wake Lineup vs. UVA

1. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

2. Jack Zimmerman, Fr.

3. Matt Storck, Sr. (Ty Pierce, So.)

9. Will Hank, Jr.

10. Johnny McMurray, So.

12. Brendan Shea, Jr.

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

The loss sent Wake into the Challenger Division Semifinal against Georgia Tech. With the championship out of reach, Wake fielded a very young team, with 4 freshmen and two sophomores starting the match. The youthful Deacs showed that the future of Wake Forest rugby is very bright, with freshmen Jack Zimmerman and Ryan Tacon scoring tries, along with sophomore Rob Kelly and junior Brendan Shea en route to a 22-5 victory.

Wake Lineup vs. Georgia Tech

1. Matt McCurdy, Fr. (Matt Storck, Sr. @ 7, Ty Pierce, So. @ 10)

2. Jack Zimmerman, Fr.

3. Hunter Lostan, Sr. (Brendan Shea, Jr. @ 7)

9. Sal Scifo, So.

10. Rob Kelly, So.

12. Ryan Tacon, Fr.

14. Liam McIntyre, Fr.

The win over the Yellow Jackets sent Wake into the Challenger Final for a rematch against Clemson. The Tigers had gone 0-3 on Saturday but improved considerably with each match and were 2-1 on Sunday heading into the Challenger Final. Wake looked to play an entertaining style of rugby, but miscues and fatigue resulted in Clemson jumping out to an early lead. Wake struggled to climb back into the game and could not close the gap, the final whistle sounding with Clemson winning 24-17. Wake tries were scored by Chadwick, McMurray, and Zimmerman.

Wake Lineup v. Clemson

1. Hunter Lostan, Sr.

2. Liam McIntyre, Fr. (Jack Zimmerman, Fr. @ 15)

3. Matt Storck, Sr. (Ty Pierce, So. @ 10)

9. Sal Scifo, So. (Will Hank, Jr. @ 10)

10. Johnny McMurray, So.

12. Brendan Shea, Jr.

14. Drew Chadwick, Sr.

The tournament championship was won by NC State 24-12 over UNC. The Wolfpack finished the weekend 5-1, with their only loss coming to the Demon Deacons on Saturday.

Wake now switches gears to 15s rugby and will next be in action in an exhibition game against Elon at home on September 25.

http://www.acirugby.com/

ACI 7s Results

2010-09-13T06:26:00.001-07:00

Articles courtesy of RugbyMag.com. More details to follow.

http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/aci-7s-day-one.aspx

http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/surprise-ending-for-aci-7s.aspx

Henry Lost to Torn ACL, MCL

2010-09-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Senior prop Devin Henry will miss the entirety of the 2010-2011 rugby season after tearing numerour knee ligaments in a pickup basketball game recently. Henry was slated to be Wake Forest's first choice tighthead prop and his absence depletes an already undermanned Demon Deacon pack heading into the start of XVs play in two weeks.

Mehrmann Likely Out For Year

2010-09-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

Wake Forest sophomore scrumhalf Drew Mehrmann is likely out for the year after being diagnosed late last week with a serious blood condition. Mehrmann, who was expected to play a large role for Wake Forest in next weekend's Atlantic Coast Invitational, has been hospitalized since Thursday and will remain at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center until at least next Friday as doctors monitor his health. Mehrmann missed most of last year as well recovering from surgery on a separated shoulder suffered in the second match of the fall. He returned to action in the late spring, contributing on the field in victories over East Carolina and Duke. Said head coach Patrick Kane upon receiving the news about Mehrmann, "It is really disappointing for our team, but even moreso for Drew. This is a kid who has tremendous potential and has now been robbed of his first two years of college rugby. Hopefully he can recover from this and get back on the field as quickly as possible." Merhmann attended high school in Hong Kong, where he was a standout flanker on his school's rugby team. He was transitioning nicely to the scrumhalf position last fall when he suffered the shoulder separation that caused him to miss most of his freshman season.

Squad Announced for Atlantic Coast Invitational

2010-09-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Head Coach Patrick Kane has announced his 15-man roster for the Atlantic Coast Invitational today after a final training session this afternoon. The players selected are:

Ross Hilton, Sr. (Captain)
Hunter Lostan, Sr.
Drew Chadwick, Sr.
Matt Storck, Sr.
Steve McMillen, Sr.
Brendan Shea, Jr.
Will Hank, Jr.
Tyre Pierce, So.
Johnny McMurray, So.
Sal Scifo, So.
Rob Kelly, So.
Jack Zimmerman, Fr.
Liam McIntyre, Fr.
Ryan Tacon, Fr.
Matt McCurdy, Fr.

Atlantic Coast Invitational

2010-09-04T05:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.rugbymag.com/news/sevens/collegiate-7s/aci-heads-list-of-fall-college-7s-events.aspx

Wake Forest Sevens Scrimmages

2010-08-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

View and purchase photos from the Sevens scrimmages this weekend between Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, UNC-Greensboro, and East Carolina.

http://www.athletic-photos.net/wfurugbyscrimmage

Wake Takes to Field on Saturday in Preparation for Atlantic Coast Invitational

2010-08-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest Men's Rugby team will get into action on Saturday at Poteat Field as it participates in 7s scrimmages with Virginia Tech, East Carolina, and UNC-Greensboro as it prepares for the Atlantic Coast Invitational on Sept. 11-12 in Greensboro (www.acirugby.com). The scrimmages will be used to work on offensive defensive patterns as well as help the Wake coaching staff make final selections for its 15 man roster for the ACI. Head coach Patrick Kane said that his roster for the ACI has mostly been chosen, but that there are one or two players that he needs to see in action before making the final decision. Additionally, the scrimmages will allow the new crossover athletes who have joined the team to get their first taste of live rugby action. Scrimmages will begin at 1pm and continue through 5pm.

ACI 7s One Month Away

2010-08-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

One month from today, 15 Wake Forest rugby players will run into Macpherson Stadium at Bryan Park in Greensboro to take on the Maryland Terrapins in their first match of the Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s. Don't miss the chance to watch the Demon Deacons in action. Make your plans to be at the ACI 7s right away! Visit http://www.acirugby.com/ for schedule and hotel information.

Legge Named to Barbarians Roster for National Club Sevens Championships

2010-08-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

Legge spins the ball out against Boston College

in the 2009 Atlantic Coast Invitational

Drew Legge, Wake Forest Rugby Class of '09, has been selected to the Denver Barbarians 12-man roster for the USA Rugby National Club Sevens Championships next weekend in San Francisco. Legge will be playing alongside US Eagles Mark Bokhoven and Nic Johnson for a squad that is one of the favorites going into the event.

Wake Forest Legends Win Bowl at Middlesex 7s

2010-08-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest Legends, a 7s team put together each summer to compete in selected tournaments, won the Bowl at the Middlesex 7s outside of Boston on Saturday. The Legends won their first two games in pool play, beating the Nairobi Exiles 21-12 and then disposing of New Haven 20-5. Wake next came up against the Mystic River first side, who was using the tournament to tune up for the national club 7s next weekend in San Francisco. The Legends were never in the game and Mystic were run away winners. The loss left Wake out of competition for the Cup and needing to win its last pool play match against the Middlesex Savages to advance to the Plate final. Tired legs and poor tackling allowed the Savages to come away with a 19-10 win and sent the Legends into the Bowl final against Mystic River B. In an exciting back and forth affair in which the lead changed hands 4 times, Wake came away with a 24-19 win. Tyler Eure led Wake to the Bowl Championship with two long range tries in the second half of the final. Christian Jewett was named team MVP based on his solid play throughout the day for the Legends.

Wake Forest Legends Roster for Middlesex 7s

1. Timo Kawira, '09
2. Dave Taveira, '09
3. Hunter Lostan, '11
4. Christian Jewett, '11
5. Mike Duffy, '10
6. Matt Gottbrecht, '09
7. Brendan Shea, '12
8. Andrew Gentles, '05
9. Tyler Eure, '08
10. Peter Cloutier, '14

Non-Playing Members
Justin Edwards, '??
Ross Hilton, '11
John Keough, '08

Wake Names New Strength and Conditioning Coach

2010-08-06T09:23:00.001-07:00

Justice in action against Clemson in 2010

Trent Justice, Wake Forest Rugby Class of 2010, will rejoin the team this fall as its new strength and conditioning coach. Justice will take over the role formerly held by Assistant Head Coach Alex Lucas, who has departed to pursue a PhD at Ohio State University. Justice will be responsible for running the team's strength and conditioning program and will serve as an assistant coach on gameday.

Atlantic Coast Invitational Approaching

2010-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

WF Rugby Balls Now Available

2010-07-27T05:31:00.000-07:00

Customized WF Rugby balls are now available for purchase through the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation. Balls are $25 plus $5 for shipping and handling. Contact Director of Men's Rugby Patrick Kane at pmkane78@aol.com to place your order.

Shea Wins Gold Medal at Nutmeg State Games

2010-07-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

Wake Forest junior Brendan Shea won a gold medal in Rugby 7s at the Connecticut Nutmeg State Games this past weekend. Shea was competing with a team comprised of Fairfield Prep Alumni, including Kyle Caravelli, current Cal scrumhalf and son of USA 7s head coach Al Caravelli. The Prep Alumni rolled to the gold medal game easily, defeating Fairfield University 42-7 and an Eastern Connecticut squad 35-0 in pool play. The Prep Alumni matched up against Fairfield University again in the final and again won handily, 32-5. In the gold medal game, Shea scored a 50 meter try to put his squad up by 20 and seal the victory.

ACI 7s Schedule Released, Wake Opens against Terrapins

2010-07-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

The schedule for the 2010 Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s tournament has been released. Wake Forest is in Pool B with North Carolina St., Maryland, Clemson, and Florida State. The Demon Deacons open play on Saturday against Maryland. The tournament is at McPherson Stadium in Greensboro, NC on September 11-12. For the full schedule, go to http://www.acirugby.com/schedule.html.

Wake Forest Rugby Merchandise Now For Sale Online

2010-07-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Fans and supporters of Wake Forest Rugby can now purchase custom Wake Forest Rugby merchandise online through Scrumbot. Just follow the link below or click on the link on the right hand side of this page. Twenty percent of all sale proceeds will go to the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation and be used to support the Wake Forest men's rugby team.

http://scrumbot.com/shop?ctype=0&ma=4&c=219578

Wake Brings on New Coach for Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s

2010-07-08T07:27:00.001-07:00

Jeremy Linne will be a Wake Forest Assistant Coach for the ACI 7s

The Wake Forest men's rugby team has secured the services of UNC-Greensboro men's rugby head coach Jeremy Linne to serve as an assistant coach for the Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s Tournament in Greensboro on September 11-12, 2010. Linne has both an impressive playing and coaching resume. He was a perrenial all-star scrumhalf at the University of Tennesse, and then played for the Super League's Chicago Lions after graduation. Linne has been head coach at UNC-G for two years, and in that short time has taken the team from a mediocre Division 3 team to an impressive team that will be challenging for the Division 2 Carolinas Rugby League title next spring. Linne also served as assistant coach for the North Carolina Rugby Union men's collegiate All-Star program last fall and will take over the reins as head coach of the program with the departure of Andy Richards.

Said Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane of the decision to bring on Linne, "I expect that our side for the ACI 7s will be very young and we will have only a small window of time to get the team ready for the tournament. Jeremy's expertise therefore will be sorely needed during the run-up to the tourney and I was thrilled when he agreed to come on and assist. The success that UNC-G has had under Linne is a testament to his ability to organize, teach, and motivate and our players will grow under his tutelage, even during the short period that he is working with them."

The Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s is a tournament for men's rugby teams from the schools that comprise the Atlantic Coast Conference. It will take place on September 11-12 at McPherson Stadium in Greensboro, NC. For more information, vist www.acirugby.com.

Atlantic Coast Invitational Gaining Local Media Attention

2010-06-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Check out an article from the Jamestown News featuring the Atlantic Coast Invitational.

http://jamestownnews.womacknewspapers.com/articles/2010/06/22/news/sports/sports46.txt

Seniors Continue Tradition of Academic Success

2010-05-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest Men's Rugby team continued to show that it is committed to excellence not only on the field, but also in the classroom. The nine team members who received their undergraduate degrees last week graduated with a combined GPA of 3.27. Michael Duffy and Trent Justice graduated magna cum laude, while David Sage graduated cum laude. While the Class of 2010 fell short of the mark set by the Class of 2009, whose six members graduated with a combined GPA of 3.45, team faculty advisor Dr. Bill Marcum was still pleased. "These young men are at Wake Forest first and foremost to get an excellent education," said Marcum, a Finance professor in the undergraduate School of Business. "The team's coaches and I take pride in the academic success of our student-athletes and we know that a big part of our job is to make sure they are doing their best in the classroom."

Kane Named to USA Rugby College Committee

2010-05-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest Head Coach and Director of Men's Rugby Patrick Kane has been appointed to the USA Rugby College Committee. See the press release from USA Rugby below.

BOULDER, Colo. - Supporting its commitment to develop college rugby, USA Rugby confirmed today the members of its College Rugby Strategic Committee who will advise and guide the work of Todd Bell, USA Rugby Collegiate Director, whose appointment was announced in early May.

The new College Rugby Strategic Committee will be chaired by USA Rugby’s Board member Peter Seccia and will include a cross section of coaches and administrators from the college game.

Joining Seccia on the committee will be Pat Kane (USA Rugby South Congress and Director of Men’s Rugby at Wake Forest University); Chip Auscavitch (NERFU Director of Division II Men’s Colleges); Marty Bradley (Collegiate Director, Rugby South / Assistant Coach University of Tennessee Men’s Rugby); MaryBeth Mathews (Assistant Dean of First Year Students and Head Coach Varsity Women's Rugby Bowdoin College); Dan Payne (Director of Rugby Life University); Matt Sherman (USA Rugby and University of San Diego State Men’s Coach); Alex Williams (USA Rugby Women’s High Performance Manager); and Bell.

The College Rugby Strategic Committee have now met three times and will narrow its focus on the creation of a new Elite Men’s College Competition and the impact it will have on all levels of the college game. The Committee will also be in charge of creating a best practices paper for the development of college programs.

Kane will head up the integration of the new men’s competition supported by Sherman and Auscavitch, while Mathews and Bradley have commenced work on the development of a best practices document.

For more information, please contact USA Rugby’s Communication Director Swright@usarugby.org or College Rugby Director Todd Bell at tbell@usarugby.org.

Wake Announces Initial Fall Recruiting Class

2010-05-19T06:30:00.001-07:00

The Wake Forest men's rugby team has announced its initial incoming recruiting class for the Fall of 2010. As always, the team expects to add a number of additional new crossover athletes once freshmen arrive on campus in late August.

Liam McIntyre

Liam McIntyre (6', 185 lbs) is a loose forward from Baltimore, MD. He began playing rugby at age 10 while living in London and played for Dulwich College. When he returned to the States at age 15, he continued playing with Baltimore Poly High School and the Baltimore-Chesapeake Brumbies men's club.

Jack Zimmerman

Jack Zimmerman (6'1", 200 lbs) is a loose forward from Connecticut. He played rugby for Northeast power Greenwich High School, captaining the side to a 3rd place finish in the Northeast playoffs this past spring.

Brendan Whalen

Brendan Whalen (6', 170 lbs) is a flyhalf from the Washington, DC area. He started at flyhalf for Georgetown Prep for the past three years and will be a welcome addition to a Wake Forest backline that was besieged by injuries last season.

Matt Gray

Matt Gray (6'1", 190 lbs) comes to Wake Forest from East Chapel Hill, where he played for the famed Highlanders program. Matt can slot in at virtually all positions in the forwards.

Clarke Ryan

Clarke Ryan (6'4", 215 lbs) is a crossover athlete from Rye, NY who comes to Wake with no rugby experience, but an impressive athletic background. Clarke was a standout tight end and defensive end for Rye Country Day School's football team and was a pitcher and third baseman for their baseball team. Clarke's brother plays lock for the Princeton University rugby team and Clarke will likely follow in his footsteps and play second row for Wake.

Bradley Neal

Brad Neal (5'10", 200 lbs) is a prop from the Landon School in Bethesda, MD. Brad will be joining his former Landon teammates and current Wake players Sal Scifo and Rob Kelly on the field in the fall.

Ryan Tacon

Ryan Tacon (6'2", 210 lbs) is from Mobile, AL but has spent the last 8 years playing rugby in London, England. He is a center who can play any position in the backline and will look to step in to the center positions vacated by graduated seniors Mike Wills, David Sage, and Perry Salvagne. This past year he captained his school to the International Schools Sports Tournament Championship.

Legge in Lineup for Super League Playoff Tilt

2010-05-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Drew Legge, '09

Former Wake Forest scrumhalf Drew Legge, '09 has been named as a reserve today for the Denver Barbarians as they take on the Boston Rugby Club in the Rugby Super League Quarterfinals. Legge was named Wake Forest's MVP for the 2008-2009 season and has been playing for the Barbarians since August 2009.

Legge gets the ball out against Boston College in the 2009 Atlantic Coast Invitational

Four Wake Rugby Alumni Playing in USA Rugby Men's Club Playoffs in Columbia, SC

2010-05-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

David Buckingham, '07, in action for New Orleans

Four former Wake Forest rugby players will be participating in the USA Rugby Men's Club Championships round of 16 the weekend of May 22-23 in Columbia, SC. Aiden O'Leary, '05 plays wing and fullback for New Haven, who faces Life University in the Division I competition. Matt Gottbrecht, '09 plays #8 for Middlesex, who matches up against Brandywine in the Division II competition. Also playing in the Division II competition is David Buckingham, '07, a wing/fullback for New Orleans. New Orleans opens their title pursuit with a matchup against Lincoln Park. Finally, Rusty Hedrick, '07, will play for the Triad Dogs in Division III as they take on Cedar Rapids. Hedrick is a lock/prop for Triad.

ACI 7s to be Held at MacPherson Stadium in Greensboro

2010-04-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

MacPherson Stadium

The 2010 Atlantic Coast Invitational Rugby Sevens Tournament, featuring the men's rugby teams from the schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will be held the weekend of September 11-12 at MacPherson Stadium in Greensboro, NC. MacPherson Stadium is the home of the Carolina Dynamo professional soccer team and is operated by Greensboro Youth Soccer. The stadium has previously hosted the 2004, 2005, and 2008 NCAA Division III soccer championships.

Wake Forest Releases 2010 Fall Schedule

2010-04-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest men's rugby team will play games against nationally-ranked Tennessee and South Carolina as well as participate in the Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s Tournament and the North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament during its 2010 Fall Campaign. The complete schedule can be found below:

Aug. 28: 7s Scrimmages (Virginia Tech, UNC-Greensboro, East Carolina) @ Wake Forest
Sept. 11-12: Atlantic Coast Invitational 7s @ Greensboro, NC
Sept. 25: Elon University @ Wake Forest
Oct. 2: UNC-Wilmington @ Wake Forest (Parents Weekend)
Oct. 9: Alumni Game @ Wake Forest (Homecoming Weekend)
Oct. 16: University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN)
Oct. 23: University of South Carolina @ Wake Forest
Oct. 30-31: North Carolina Rugby Union Tournament

Awards and Scholarship Given Out at Year End Banquet

2010-04-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

(L to R: Dr. Bill Marcum, Ross Hilton, and Greg Wagner, '07)

On Thursday night the Wake Forest men's rugby team held its annual year end awards banquet in the newly constructed Deacon Tower at BB&T Field. Players, coaches, alumni, and supporters gathered to bid farewell to the departing seniors, honor those players who had standout years on the field, and look back on the past season and forward to next year. The night began with the graduating seniors receiving plaques and alumni jerseys as recognition for all the work they put in over the past four years. Gabe Huertas del Pino, Perry Salvagne, Trent Justice, Ken Forte, David Sage, Mike Wills, Christian Jewett, and Mike Duffy will be graduating in May and moving on to life after Wake Forest. Also graduating will be RI Smith, who served as the team's publicity director and videographer for the past two years. All nine of these individuals contributed greatly to the team during their time at Wake Forest and they will be missed.

The team then gave out individual awards to players who had standout seasons on the field. As voted on by the players, Ty Pierce was named most improved player, Johnny McMurray was named Rookie of the Year, Ross Hilton and Trent Justice were named co-Defensive Players of the Year, Brendan Shea was named Offensive Player of the Year, and Mike Duffy was voted the team's Most Valuable Player.

The night continued with the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation awarding its first ever scholarship. The Marcum Scholarship, named for the team's current faculty advisor Dr. Bill Marcum, will be given annually to a current member of the Wake Forest men's rugby program who is entering his final year of collegiate eligibility. It is awarded to someone who has exhibited a commitment to excellence on the rugby field and in the classroom during his time with the program. Greg Wagner, '07, a member of the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation Board of Directors and a member of the Marcum Scholarship Committee, was on hand to present the inaugural award to Ross Hilton. Hilton will graduate this May with honors in Mathematics and will be continuing at Wake Forest for a graduate degree next year. He has been a three year starter at lock, a two time North Carolina Rugby Union College All-Star, and was elected team president for next season.

Finally, the team honored assistant coach Alex Lucas, who will be leaving the team next year to pursue a Ph.D. at Ohio State University. Lucas, a Zimbabwe native who formerly captained the Zimbabwe U-19 team and spent four years as a strength and conditioning coach with the Natal Sharks, coached the team the past two years and really helped elevate the players' skill levels and fitness levels. His expertise was invaluable and he will be sorely missed next year.

Awards:
Mike Duffy - MVP
Brendan Shea - Offensive Player of the Year
Ross Hilton and Trent Justice - Co-Defensive Players of the Year
John McMurray - Rookie of the Year
Tyre Pierce - Most Improved Player
Ross Hilton - Marcum Scholarship

Team Elects New Officers

2010-04-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest men's rugby team elected its administrative officers for the 2010-2011 school year yesterday. Ross Hilton was elected as team president, with Matt Storck chosen as vice-president. A full list of officers is below:

President: Ross Hilton
Vice-President: Matt Storck
Match Coordinator: Ben Cohen
Treasurer: Johnny McMurray
Social Coordinators: Chris Ryan and Will Hank
Publicity Directors: Brendan Shea and Brandon Turner
Alumni Liason: Hunter Lostan

Wake Rugby Showcases Sevens Skills at UNC 7s

2010-04-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

Ty Pierce, 7s Specialist

Wake Forest entered three sides in the annual Friday Night UNC 7s tournament, a fun event that kicks off UNC Rugby's annual spring alumni weekend.

The night started with Wake Forest's upperclassman side losing a close match to Duke, 19-15. Both teams scored three tries, but Christian Jewett's inability to even come close to converting either of his two tries proved to be the difference in the match.

Next up was Wake Forest's all-front row side. Averaging 250 pounds per player, the side started out with a game plan to play tight, possession rugby and aiming to send the sport of Rugby Sevens back to the caveman era. However, a strange thing happened and the front row side abandoned the game plan and instead played a wide open, free-flowing, expansive rugby game (albeit in slow motion). Trailing 5-0 to the UNC Alumni side near the end of the first half, freshman prop Ty Pierce excited the crowd when he took the ball near his own goal line and raced 95 meters for a try, shedding numerous would-be tacklers along the way. Adding to the incredibleness of the score was the fact that Pierce calmly converted the try after touching down between the post. Said Pierce of his spectacular run, "It may have looked like the guys trying to tackle me were weak, but really I just owned them in the face."

After UNC Alumni scored to start the second half and go up 12-7, senior prop Ken Forte ripped the ball from a UNC ball-carrier near midfield, and spun off the maul with the ball hidden behind his back. As the other 13 players on the field continued to contest a ball-less maul, Forte ran undetected to the tryzone and touched down to tie the score. Forte would be the hero again moments later when he took a sweet off-load from prop Delicious Henry and scored the game winning try for the front row side.

Next up for Wake was an underclassman side against another UNC side. While the underclassman showed some spurts of good play, lack of Rugby Sevens acumen and missed tackles lead to a loss. The highlight of the game for Wake was an impressive Ty Pierce-like try scoring run for sophomore Tyler Vanston who used a devastating half-forearm fend-off to beat a number of tacklers. Asked about his spectacular play after the match, Vanston was too busy texting on his cell phone to comment.

The Wake upperclassman side then got a chance to redeem itself against the UNC Alumni team. With the UNC Alumni looking to rebound from its defeat to the Wake front row side, it was sure to be a great game. Except that it wasn't. The Alumni had no match for the shiftiness of Gumbi-like flyhalf Brendan Shea and the power of prop Hunter Lostan who showed incredible heart in playing in spite of the numerous serious leg injuries that had kept him out of practice for the past 3 weeks. Both players touched down multiple tries and sent the Wake uperclassmen into the Bowl Final.

The Wake underclassman side continued to struggle next against Duke. The side's performance was much-improved from its first game, but missed tackles continued to haunt the team as Duke seemingly turned every Wake mistake into a try.

Ken Forte, Try Machine

Wake's front row team then took the field for the Cup semi-finals against UNC-Pembroke. Once again deviating from the game plan right from the opening kickoff, the front row side played some good rugby with prop Ken Forte again doing most of the damage offensively. Defensively props Nick Conte and Blind Havins set the tone, while hookers Justen Robinett and Jeff Millar directed the team from the scrumhalf and flyhalf positions. Down 12-10 in the waning moments of the match, the front rows made a desparate push for the try that would send them into the Cup finals. Impact sub Matt Tucker made a long run and was brought down just short of the goalline. In the ensuing ruck a knockon was called on Wake, ending the game and dashing the front rows' hopes of a championship.

In the Bowl final, the Wake uperclassman took on a Duke side lead by former US Eagles 7s player James Gillenwater and a number of South American imports. Unphased by the Blue Devil's international presence, Wake dominated the game from start to finish. Shea once again scored multiple tries, confirming that he is actually almost as good as he thinks he is. Christian Jewett, Mike Duffy, and David Sage also scored tries to lead the rout, while Perry Salvagne played spectacular defense from the sweeper position. Trent Justice was also on the field.

Trent Justice. Was there.

The night ended for Wake with the front row side taking on a UNC side in the plate final. The team's magical cinderella run came to an end with a 19-5 defeat. Wake's lone try was scored by Delicious Henry on a powerful run down the sideline that included a stiff-arm that sent a UNC defender airborne and delighted the crowd.

Once again, the UNC 7s proved to be a fun event and Wake Forest thanks the Tar Heels for their hospitality.

The Wake Forest men's rugby 2009-2010 season will conclude on April 22 with its annual year-end awards banquet. The banquet will be held this year at Deacon Tower and will be highlighted by the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation awarding its first scholarship.

Wake Forest Rugby Foundation Announces Scholarships

2010-04-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Wake Forest Rugby Foundation has announced the creation of two $1000 scholarships to be awarded to members of the Wake Forest men's rugby team beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year. One scholarship will be awarded to an incoming freshman who has excelled in academics and rugby during high school. Criteria used by the scholarship committee in determining the recipient of this award include rugby accomplishments, academic record and achievements, community involvement and financial need. The scholarship will be renewable on an annual basis at the discretion of the Wake Forest Rugby Foundation. The second scholarship will be awarded to a current member of the Wake Forest men's rugby program who is entering his final year of collegiate eligibility. It will be given to someone who has exhibited a commitment to excellence on the rugby field and in the classroom during his time with the team. The recipient must have shown sustained dedication to the team both on and off the field.

For information on applying for these scholarships or to make a donation to the scholarship fund, please contact Wake Forest Rugby Foundation President Andrew Gentles at Andrew.Gentles@wellsfargo.com.

Wake Ends Season on Winning Note

2010-03-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest finished what was a frustrating season on a high note on Friday night, defeating Duke 43-7 in Durham. After withstanding early pressure from the Blue Devils off the opening kickoff, Wake drew first blood with a try between the posts from sophomore flanker Justen Robinett. Senior fullback Perry Salvagne's conversion made the score 7-0. The Demon Deacon forwards dominated the breakdown and the set pieces, and from a maul driven about 30 meters to the Duke goalline, Christian Jewett went over to make the score 12-0. Duke got on the scoresheet minutes later when their dangerous fullback gathered in an attempted chip kick from Wake's flyhalf and sped around and outside the Wake Forest defense to bring the Blue Devils within five at 12-7. But Wake closed the half with a tremendous individual try-scoring effort from senior center David Sage and Salvagne's conversion made it 19-7 at the break.

The second half started with Wake winning a scrum against the head and Robinett picking from the base and going 30 meters for his second try of the night. Sophomore fullback Will Hank converted to extend Wake's lead to 26-7. From there out it was all Wake Forest as a Duke pack that was missing a number of regulars due to injury and unavailability had trouble competing in the scrum and had no answer for the Demon Deacons' maul. The Wake forwards continually set the platform and allowed the backs to run into space, with sophomore flyhalf Brendan Shea, sophomore wing Tyler Vanston, and freshman wing Rob Kelly all touching down. Hank converted one of the tries to bring the final tally to 43-7.

Friday night's victory marks the last collegiate game for seniors Mike Duffy, Ken Forte, Christian Jewett, David Sage, Trent Justice, Perry Salvagne, and Gabe Huertas del Pino. Wake Forest rugby owes a huge debt of gratitude to this graduating class as they served as the foundation for Wake to move from a Division 3 team to one that will next year be a Division 1 team competing in the Atlantic Coast Rugby League. Duffy and Forte were four year starters in the front row, while Jewett, Sage, Justice and Salvagne all have been mainstays in the Demon Deacons lineup for the past three years.

While the departure of these seniors will leave holes in the team, the future looks very bright for Wake Forest. Freshman center Matt Tucker was extremely impressive on Friday night in his first action with the first team, garnering man of the match honors. Tucker will be counted on to solidify a backline next year that will be bolstered by the return of sophomores Ben Cohen and Brandon Turner from injury. The forwards, meanwhile, will be led by North Carolina Rugby Union All-Star Ross Hilton who will return to Wake for grad school and his final year of eligibility. Hilton will be joined by fellow All-Star Matt Storck who missed the entirety of the 2009-2010 season due to injury and 8-man Hunter Lostan who had a breakout year at the base of the scrum. The return of Cohen to the backline means that Brendan Shea, who performed admirably at #10 this season, can move back to flanker, adding more power and skill to the Wake forwards. Additionally, Wake hopes to soon announce a star-studded recruiting class that will help the Demon Deacons challenge for the inaugural Atlantic Coast Rugby League title in 2011.

Wake Lineup vs Duke

1. Devin Henry, Jr. (Nick Conte, So. @ 40)
2. Jeff Millar, So. (Chris Ryan, So. @ 65)
3. Ken Forte, Sr. (Matt Layden, So. @ 65)
4. Ross Hilton, Sr.
5. Christian Jewett, Sr.
6. Ty Pierce, Fr. (Sal Scifo, Fr. @ 60
7. Justen Robinett, So. (Drew Mehrmann, Fr. @ 63)
8. Trent Justice, So.
9. Mike Duffy, Sr.
10. Brendan Shea, So.
11. Barrett Corrigan, Fr. (Tyler Vanston, So. @ 40; John Borkowski, Fr. @ 65)
12. Matt Tucker, Fr.
13. David Sage, Sr.
14. Gabe Huertas del Pino, Sr. (Rob Kelly, Fr. @ 40)
15. Perry Salvagne, Sr. (Will Hank, So. @ 40)

Tries:
Robinett (2), Jewett, Sage, Shea, Vanston, Kelly

Conversions:
Salvagne (2), Hank (2)

Wake Forest to Take On Duke in Friday Night Exhibition

2010-03-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest will travel to Durham on Friday evening to play Duke in a post-season exhibition game. The two teams last faced each other in February of 2007, when they played to a 16-16 tie at Wake Forest. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm.

Carolinas Rugby League Teams Advance in South Playoffs

2010-03-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

North Carolina State and Appalachian State advanced to the semifinals of the USA Rugby South Division 2 Collegiate Competition on Saturday, marking the third consecutive year that two teams from Wake Forest's league have reached the final four of the D2 competition. North Carolina State travelled to Atlanta and beat Ole Miss from the SEC 43-22. Meanwhile, App. St. travelled to Vanderbilt, another SEC foe, and won 22-3. The Wolfpack and Mountaineers will now play next weekend in Murfreesboro, TN to determine who will advance to the USA Rugby Division 2 playoffs.

In 2008 Wake Forest and East Carolina advanced to the South Final Four and in 2009 East Carolina and Appalachian State were among the last four teams standing.

Wake Rugby to Join Atlantic Coast Rugby League

2010-03-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

With more shakeups on tap in the collegiate rugby landscape, Wake Forest will become a part of the Atlantic Coast Rugby League next year. See the new league's inaugural press release at American Rugby News by clicking the link below.

http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/college/New_Atlantic_Coast_League.shtml

Carolinas Rugby League Season Ends With Loss to Appalachian St.

2010-03-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

For the second consecutive year, Wake Forest met Appalachian St. in the final game of the regular season with a playoff berth on the line. And for the second consecutive year, it was the Mountaineers who grabbed the playoff berth, defeated the Demon Deacons 31-10. Wake Forest had the run of play in the first half, utilizing a game plan designed to keep the ball away from the dangerous ASU backline. Strong forward play eventually led to a try from scrumhalf Mike Duffy, but the easy conversion was missed and Wake was in front 5-0. Appalachian St. responded with a penalty goal to bring the score to 5-3, and then the tide turned when 8-man Hunter Lostan was yellow-carded with 7 minutes left in the half for repeated infringements in the tackle. Appalachian St. jumped on the man advantage and scored a converted try to go up 10-5 at the break. The Mountaineers continued to press their advantage at the start of the second half, venturing deep into Wake territory and putting another 7 points on the board shortly after Lostan was released from the bin. Then an ill-adivsed pass from lock Christian Jewett inside the 22 went to ground and was scooped up by an App. St. player who walked in for an easy try. With the score 24-5, the result was no longer in doubt. Wake Forest pressured some in the waning minutes, aided by 3 yellow cards to Appalachain St. for malicious tackles, but lazy play by wing Tyler Vanston allowed the Mountaineers to score a try while down two men and stretch the lead to 31-5. A late unconverted try by Wake brought the final scoreline to 31-10. Appalachian St. (3-3) will now advance to the South Division 2 quarterfinals against Vanderbilt, while Wake concludes the inaugural Carolinas Rugby League season at 2-4 and in 5th place.

Wake Lineup vs Appalachian St.

1. Nick Conte, So.
2. Jeff Millar, So.
3. Ken Forte, Sr.
4. Ross Hilton, Sr.
5. Christian Jewett, Sr.
6. Kip Lewis, So.
7. Trent Justice, Sr. (Devin Henry, Jr. @ 48)
8. Hunter Lostan, Jr.
9. Mike Duffy, Sr. (Rob Kelly, Fr. @ 72)
10. Brendan Shea, So.
11. Will Hank, So.
12. David Sage, Sr.
13. Perry Salvagne, Sr.
14. Tyler Vanston, So. (Gabe Huertas Del Pino, Sr. @ 65)
15. John McMurray, Fr.

Tries: Duffy, Lostan

Game Against Appalachian St. Moved to Wake Forest

2010-03-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

With Appalachian St. once again forced to leave home because of field availability issues, the game between Wake Forest and ASU has been moved to Wake Forest. ASU originally thought they had secured the use of Charlotte RFC's facility for the match, but those arrangements fell through late in the week, leaving no other option than to play the game at Wake. This game is the Carolinas Rugby League regular season finale for both teams; the winner will advance to the playoffs, while the loser's competitive season will come to a close. Kickoff is set for 10am on Poteat Field.

DC-Area Teams Dominate Showcase

2010-03-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

Both Gonzaga and Hyde won both of their matches this weekend at the 3rd Annual Wake Forest High School Rugby Showcase. Gonzaga defeated East Chapel Hill on Saturday and West Shore United on Sunday, with Hyde doing the same in the reverse order - beating West Shore United on Saturday and East Chapel Hill on Sunday. The level of rugby exhibited by the teams attending this year's was exceptional, with the highlight of the weekend being the early Sunday morning game between Hyde and East Chapel Hill. The game was an exciting back and forth affair, with Hyde's dynamic backline ultimately leading its team to a 36-29 victory over a talented and well-organized Highlanders squad. Wake Forest rugby looks forward to hopefully having all four teams return for next year's event.

Wake Tops Pirates, Stays Alive in Playoff Hunt

2010-02-26T02:21:00.000-08:00

In below freezing temperatures with winds gusting at close to 40 mph, Wake Forest beat East Carolina 46-38 on Thursday night in Greenville, NC. The bonus point victory keeps Wake alive for a playoff spot with one game remaining on its Carolinas Rugby League slate.

Wake Forest opened the scoring on with a converted try from sophomore flyhalf Brendan Shea in the 6th minute. But as would be a pattern throughout the first half, ECU struck back immediately with a try of their own to make the score 7-5. With winds rendering the kicking game useless and making lineouts difficult, both teams opted to take quick taps at almost all penalties, the result of which was fast-paced, free-flowing, exciting rugby. Wake scored next when sophomore wing Will Hank touched down in the corner, but ECU evened the score at 12 within minutes. A long range try from senior scrumhalf Mike Duffy put Wake ahead 17-12, but ECU responded with a converted try to go up 19-17. Senior inside center David Sage went over to make it 22-19 in favor of Wake, but ECU scored in the 40th minute to take a 24-22 lead into the break.

With the wind shifting a bit in the second half, Wake had the full run of play and looked to be clear of the Pirates. Tries from Duffy, 8man Hunter Lostan, flanker Trent Justice, and prop Ken Forte put Wake ahead 46-24 and the rout appeared to be on. But the young East Carolina side showed how dangerous it can be, and in the final 5 minutes spectacular individual efforts from ECU inside center and captain Justin Bourgeois and fullback Bobby Allen saw ECU narrow the gap to 46-38. With the outcome of the game suddenly hanging in the balance, Wake pressured deep into ECU territory and from a 5 meter scrum Duffy put the ball into touch to end the game and seal the win.

Wake Forest head coach Patrick Kane, who had previously been 0-6 against East Carolina, said of the match, "with the cold and windy conditions, you would have expected a low scoring affair. Instead, we got just the opposite and although I wish we hadn't made it so close, it was certainly fun to watch. I was proud of the guys for how much intensity they played with- it was refreshing to see us constantly on the front foot for once. ECU deserves a ton of credit for what they've done this year, especially considering the amount of talent they graduated from last year's team. Justin Bourgeois was an absolute force for them and almost single-handedly kept them in the game. As their young players continue to develop, they will be back on top very soon."

Wake has the weekend off now as all make-up games have been played and it is their regularly scheduled CRL bye weekend. Next Saturday they will play Appalachian State, with a victory essentially assuring the Demon Deacons of a spot in the South playoffs.

Wake Lineup vs ECU

1. Nick Conte, So. (Devin Henry, Jr. @ 55)
2. Sal Scifo, Fr. (Hunter Lostan, Jr. @ 15)
3. Ken Forte, Sr.
4. Ross Hilton, Sr.
5. Christian Jewett, Sr.
6. Ty Pierce, Fr.
7. Trent Justice, Sr.
8. Jeff Millar, So. (Justen Robinett, So. @ 50)
9. Mike Duffy, Sr.
10. Brendan Shea, So.
11. Will Hank, So.
12. David Sage, Sr.
13. Perry Salvagne, Sr.
14. Tyler Vanston, So.
15. John McMurray, Fr. (Drew Mehrmann, Fr. @ 75)

Tries: Shea, Hank, Duffy 2, Sage, Lostan, Justice, Forte
Con: Hank 3

Schedule Set for High School Showcase

2010-02-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

Gonzaga vs Hyde from 2008

The schedule for this weekend's high school rugby showcase has been set and will feature two days of fantastic rugby.

Saturday, February 27

9am: Gonzaga B v Hyde B

10:30am: East Chapel Hill B v West Shore B

12pm: Lunch, Campus Tours

2pm: Hyde A v West Shore A

3:30pm: East Chapel Hill A v. Gonzaga A

5pm: Gonzaga B v West Shore B

Sunday, February 28

9:30am: East Chapel Hill A v Hyde A

11am: West Shore A v Gonzaga A

Carolinas Rugby League News

2010-02-21T16:59:00.001-08:00

Leroy Walker Photo

http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/college/College_Make-up_Scores.shtml

http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/college/College_CRL_Scores.shtml

Wake Continues to Struggle, Blanked by Wolfpack

2010-02-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

Leroy Walker Photo

Despite controlling possession and territory for much of the game, Wake Forest was dominated on the scoreboard on Saturday by North Carolina State, falling 37-0. NC State capitalized on seemingly every Wake Forest miscue, the disciplined, athletic Wolpack side twice scoring long-range tries against the run of play in the first half and going into the break up 20-0. For its part, Wake Forest put together some good phases of play, but repeatedly failed to finish off movements. Assistant Head Coach Alex Lucas commented after the match, "despite the lopsided score, we actually played some decent rugby today. But NC State was solid in every single phase of the game and had the killer instinct to stike every time we gave them the slightest opening."

While mathematically still in playoff contention, Wake Forest, now 1-3, faces a hugely uphill battle if it wants to see the postseason. The Demon Deacons play a must win game at East Carolina on Thursday night in Greenville, NC. The Pirates are 0-2 in Carolinas Rugby League play, but have beaten Wake Forest in the teams' last six meetings.

Wake Lineup vs NC State

1. Nick Conte, So.

2. Justen Robinett, So. (Ty Pierce, Fr. @ 60)

3. Ken Forte, Sr. (Devin Henry, Jr. @ 40)

4. Ross Hilton, Sr.

5. Christian Jewett, Sr.

6. Mike Duffy, Sr. (Jeff Millar, So. @ 55)

7. Trent Justice, Sr.

8. Hunter Lostan, Jr.

9. Will Hank, So.

10. Brendan Shea, So.

11. Tyler Vanston, So.

12. David Sage, Sr.

13. Perry Salvagne, Sr.

14. Rob Kelly, Fr.

15. Johnny McMurray, Fr. (Kip Lewis, So. @ 15)

Following the match, Wake Forest and NC State played a 60 minute scrimmage to give each team's reserves some much needed rugby action. Wake was fortunate to have a number of alums and coaches join them to fill out their side, and won the scrimmage 24-10.

Wake Lineup vs NC State Reserves

1. Matt Layden, So. (Ken Forte, Sr. @ 30)

2. Chris Ryan, So.

3. Hien Nguyen, '07

4. Greg Wagner, '07

5. Clay Robinson, Jr.

6. Sal Scifo, Fr.

7. Matt Gottbrecht, '09 (Brad Havins @ 45)

8. Jeff Millar, So. (Dave Poplaski, '09 @ 30)

9. Will Hank, So. (Drew Mehrmann, Fr. @ 30)

10. Patrick Kane

11. Rob Kelly, Fr.

12. Matt Tucker, Fr.

13. Kip Lewis, So.

14. Barrett Corrigan, Fr.

15. Gabe Huertas del Pino, Sr.

View From The Sideline - Week 6

2010-02-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

In memory of Julian Blacklock Wills Sr.

I found out less than an hour before the match against UNC last Sunday that my grandfather had passed away following a bout with cancer. He was 76 years old. During the match, an embarrassing 75-19 defeat, I was mostly indifferent. Normally exuberant on the sidelines, I was quiet and reserved for the most part. Instead of hustling to the try zone to try to inspire my teammates after the opponent touches down, I hung back and kept to myself. My thoughts were elsewhere.

I have many fond memories of my granddad and the experiences I had with my grandparents growing up. One such memory is that he would always ask me questions to initiate conversation-the kinds of questions that someone asks either just to make small talk or because they actually truly care, and there’s no question for me as to what his motives were. One memory is particularly funny for me, and I’m not sure why, but it sticks with me to this day. He used to ask me, “How’s lacrosse going, Mike?” “Granddad,” I’d remind him, “I play rugby now, not lacrosse.” It’s an easy mix-up for someone to make, especially in Maryland where lacrosse is king. Fortunately, when I went to high school, I switched my Spring sport from lacrosse to rugby. From the first time I walked off the rugby pitch after a game at Gonzaga, I knew that I had made the right decision. After that first match, I knew I had found a game that was made just for me. What makes this particular memory special to me is that he knew how much rugby meant to me and knew how much I loved to play, so he always made it a point to ask me how it was going (even though he did occasionally get it mixed up with lacrosse).

Rugby is a game unlike any other. In my 8 years of playing the sport, I’ve realized that the bonds that you form with teammates, coaches, and occasionally even opponents cannot be matched by any other sport. The blood, sweat, and tears that you share on the field with teammates help shape relationships that last a lifetime. I’m not sure exactly what it is about the sport that makes it so special because it’s extremely hard to put a finger on, but anyone who has ever played rugby at any level would likely echo that sentiment. I look back at my time as a player, and I realize that I have so many memories that will likely be etched in my head forever. Scoring three tries in my first game at Gonzaga is the first memory I have. Unfortunately, limping off the field with a torn ACL in Myrtle Beach, SC, is my last. Still, I will cherish all the memories in between and the bonds they have helped form for a lifetime.

The funeral for my grandfather was earlier today. The amount of people that came in droves to the viewing yesterday and the funeral today was a true testament to the kind of man he was- a well respected man and beloved friend to so many people. I’m sure all of the people there have similar memories of him as a caring, loving man, and he has touched so many people in that way. I’m very proud to have known him as my granddad, as a mentor and role model, and, most importantly, as a friend.

Rest peacefully, Granddad.

- Mike Wills, '10

Mike Wills is a senior center whose Wake rugby career ended prematurely when he tore his ACL in October. Mike has been writing a weekly blog giving his perspective on the team as it competes in the inaugural season of the Carolinas Rugby League.