The °¬żÉÖ±˛Ą College Men’s 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 sport’s 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. Â
The games will be televised on NBC.
Team manager Ben Nathan ’16, 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 national championship for the exposure it will bring to the club sport that has long been overshadowed by BC’s 31 varsity sports. Â
“Being a part of the BC rugby team has been one of the highlights of my BC experience,” said Nathan, who is from Peabody, Mass. “Playing 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 °¬żÉÖ±˛Ą College.”
Added team captain Dan Schatzman ’17, a Carroll School of Management finance and accounting major from San Jose, California, “The team is excited to represent °¬żÉÖ±˛Ą 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.” Â
Upon the completion of the Collegiate Rugby Championship, Nathan says he will begin studies for a master’s degree in the Lynch School of Education, before pursuing a career teaching high school history and coaching rugby. Schatzman will work this summer in °¬żÉÖ±˛Ą as an intern in an investment banking firm.
“Win or lose, this year has been an unforgettable experience,” said Nathan. “We 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.”
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—Jack Dunn | News & Public Affairs