September 16, 2023, was the first home games for both the SNU women’s and men’s Rugby teams. Players were prepared to show out for the fans at school and families that came to watch them, as both teams put on a great show, with the boys going up against Oklahoma University and the women going up against the University of Texas.
The men’s rugby game was quite a game to watch, and one you would have wanted to have attended. The boys were down in the first half by two tries and a conversion kick, but as the second half commenced, they came out with a different approach and were more hyped. The boys came out fast and dominated the entire second half up until the very last play of the game, which brought them to their victory in winning the match 17-16! As they were down 14-16, they scored a penalty kick and were able to clinch the win. The women’s team amazed the audience just as much by coming out and destroying Texas’ team, beating them 80-0. The women showed out and put a real show on for their fans!
I spoke with freshman Hannah Davis on how she felt about competing in her first collegiate rugby game and she exclaimed, “It was amazing! It was fun! We won and I loved it all!” I explained to her how she played a great game and as a starting freshman, it is amazing what she and her teammates are doing. She then continued saying how excited she was to continue to grow and learn more with the team and get more wins under her belt.
I then spoke to transfer student Sanele Mdingi, a junior, and asked him what his thoughts were on the game and his performance. He responded, “We started rough but turned around and fixed it, which landed us our victory today. I couldn’t be prouder!” I could tell he was extremely over the moon about the results of their game because he mentioned how before the game there were some words of friendly competition exchanged between teams on how the game would go and what the outcome would be. This exchange made SNU coming out on top that much sweeter!
The first home games the rugby team played for their fans, families, and school was a great and memorable success, especially considering the sport is still new for the SNU community. We hope to see you at the next game!
Photo by SNU Creative