The ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯ College Menβs Rugby Sevens team will play in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship June 4 and 5 in Philadelphia, seeking its first national championship since the sportβs founding at BC in 1968.
The team, which competes in the Division I East Coast Rugby Conference, enjoyed a successful sevens season before winning its first ACC Championship in April.
It will participate in the two-day invitation-only tournament at Talen Energy Stadium in a four-team bracket that includes rugby sevens powerhouses Notre Dame, University of Indiana and Kutztown University. The games on Saturday will begin with BC playing Indiana at 10:20 am; Kutztown at 1 pm and Notre Dame at 3 pm.Β Β
The games will be televised on NBC.
Team manager Ben Nathan β16, a history and Perspectives program major in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, said that the team is eager for the opportunity to play in a nationalΒ championship for the exposure it will bring to the club sport that has long been overshadowed by BCβs 31 varsity sports.Β Β
βBeing a part of the BC rugby team has been one of the highlights of my BC experience,β said Nathan, who is from Peabody, Mass. βPlaying a sport that I love with a great bunch of guys has been a dream. Playing in the national championship is the perfect capstone to four great years at ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯ College.β
Added team captain Dan Schatzman β17, a Carroll School of Management finance and accounting major from San Jose, California, βThe team is excited to represent ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯ College on a national stage against the best rugby teams in the country. We have worked hard all year for this opportunity, and we promise no one will be disappointed by our effort.β Β
Upon the completion of the Collegiate Rugby Championship, Nathan says he will begin studies for a masterβs degree in the Lynch School of Education, before pursuing a career teaching high school history and coaching rugby. Schatzman will work this summer in ³ΙΘΛΏμ²₯ as an intern in an investment banking firm.
βWin or lose, this year has been an unforgettable experience,β said Nathan.Β βWe hope we can end the season on a high note on behalf of all the student-athletes who have played rugby at BC and all of our many supporters who have helped us to raise the money to make this opportunity possible.β
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βJack Dunn | News & Public Affairs