Rugby News

Saturday April 30 was a nice sunny day in Knox Farms State Park, up by Buffalo, as the Union County Mudturtles took on Rappahanncock Rugby in the Atlantic Region D3 semi-final. Union came out strong keeping ball in hand, making steady progress up the pitch. On defense the team kept their shape and came up hard on ball out shutting down the opposition. In the scrum Union took over driving Rappahanncock backwards on their own put. The result of all this pressure was Chris Keim going in for a score at 6:19 with Julian Caceres hitting the point after 7-0 Union. Tom ross put in a second try at 17:15 and once again Julian hit his kick 14-0 Union. Keeping up the pressure and frustrating the opposition resulted in being awarded a penalty try at 22:08 resulting in 21-0 Union. At 39:30 Julian booted a penalty kick taking Union into halftime up 24-0. The second saw a quick score with Andy Brown going over for a try at 41:30 and again Julian making his kick 31-0 Union. Rappahanncock finally scored a try at 49:20 with a failed kick making the score 31-5. They also scored with a successful kick at 47:50 making the score 31-12 Union. At 57:22 Silas Kim put a try away with PA going wide to make final score 36-12 with Union advancing to the regional finals.

Sunday May 1 saw the Mudturtles take on a strong Charles River side in the rain. Two evenly matched sides saw the game go back and forth but once again Unions pack tilted the scales driving the larger Charles River side back on their own put causing pressure that thwarted the opposition from getting a foothold on offense. The only score of the first half went Union's way with a penalty kick by Julian Caceres at 8:10 making this mud fest 3-0 Union at halftime. The Mudturtles came out hot in the second half driving down to the try line where Charles River put up a stand. After a hard series of pick and goes off the ruck by Union's forward Dylan Frank broke over and scored at 43:58, point after failed giving Union a 8-0 lead. At 48:27 in much the same manner at the opposite try line Charles River went over adding a successful kick making it a match at 8-7 Union. Once again a battle back and forth in the mud until 61:13 and Melvin Green scored with Julian making his kick 15-7 Union. Charles River did not give up and scored a try and kick at the 67:06 mark15-14 Union. Shortly after the restart kick Union took back possession and kept ball in hand killing the clock by having the forwards pick and go from the ruck. This looked to be succeeding until Union was penalized for diving over the ruck. With time running out Charles River mounted some offense only to have a forward pass give Union a scrum with zero on the clock. The Mudturtle forwards won their ball, out the back of the scrum to Tom Ross who kicked to touch UNION VICTORY!!!!!