Siena Men's Rugby Seeks Another National Title in Higher Division
BY Mark Singelais | TIMES UNION
LOUDONVILLE — Siena men's rugby won a national championship in the first year of its three-year transition from club to varsity program.
The Saints will try to do it again in Year 2 — only against better competition. The Saints, who captured the National Collegiate Rugby's Small College Challenge Cup in Houston last December, are moving up to Division 1-AA. They'll open their season at 1 p.m. Saturday against the University at Albany on the Siena Rugby Pitch.
"I think there's a lot of eyes looking down on us, which is exciting," said Siena senior flanker John Lynch of White Plains. "Going from a small-cup championship to playing in the AA leagues, people might look down on us, look over us. We like being the underdogs. We're ready to show people what we're about, what we're coming for."
The Saints are entering their first year in the Liberty Rugby Conference. Their six-match regular-season schedule includes SUNY institutions UAlbany, SUNY Brockport, Oswego State, Cortland, Stony Brook and Binghamton.
A year ago, Siena steamrolled most of its small-college opponents. The Saints finished 10-0 and allowed only six points all season until it pulled out a 25-20 victory over Wayne State in the national championship match at AVEVA Stadium in Houston, which will also host this year's nationals Dec. 9-11.
Head coach Jaco Visser expects closer competition this season. He said the 1-AA players are 10 to 15 pounds heavier at forward and there's more skill. It's the second-highest level of college rugby, behind Division I-A.
"I think it's going to be a huge challenge for us," Visser said. "We're going to have to adapt a lot to the speed of the game, the physicality and we're going to have to build a lot more depth in the squad than last year."
However, UAlbany head coach John Durant said Siena should be fine. The Great Danes scrimmaged Siena in Loudonville two weeks ago and it turned out "not well for us," according to Durant.
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