Rugby mission a major success for BYU
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PALO ALTO, CALIF.
Dominated by missionary-minded young men, the BYU rugby team came from behind to upset five-time defending champion University of California-Berkeley, 25-22, in the USA Rugby National Guard College Championship match Saturday, May 2.
The Cougars, who had lost to Cal in the previous three championships, were down by as many as 12 points before coming back at Stanford University's Stueber Rugby Stadium. They reached the championship match in the tournament by defeating Dartmouth, Arkansas State, and, in the semifinals, San Diego State.
Most of the players on the BYU team are returned missionaries, according to Paul Meyers, academic coordinator for BYU Rugby. Notable exceptions are two players from South Africa who are not members of the Church, but are "great young men," according to Meyers.
He said all 11 freshmen, including three who started in the championship game, are planning to serve missions and most have already received their calls.
Meyers called the team "a magnificent bunch of boys" who pray at games and practices and who hold daily devotionals when they are on the road.
