By Zach Waltz
Sports Editor
The women’s rugby team ended its season last Sunday, losing its first game of the season in the regional finals against Sacred Heart University 32-5.
The loss brought an end to an otherwise impressive season for the Bonnies, having gone undefeated up to that point. Junior scrumhalf Catherine Eaton said this season has given a sense of rejuvenation to the club.
“It’s given us a lot of excitement for the spring tournament season and next fall, too,” Eaton said. “People who didn’t get to play as much were exposed to phenomenal rugby matches this season, which means everyone from those who have been playing for years to those who just joined this semester have learned so much so far, and it means we’ll be ready to go and have a lot of experience under our belts as we move forward.”
Sophomore Johnathan Hines, who plays wing for the men’s rugby team, assisted in coaching the women’s team. He said the Bonnies have big plans for future seasons after the team’s success this season.
“A great season like this means that we just have to work harder in the offseason and next season,” Hines said. “We have a huge red dot on our backs with all of the in-state teams, so we have to come back next year even better in order to repeat as state champs. We also want to continue to improve so that we reach our ultimate club goal, being crowned national champions.”
The team won its regional semi-final match against the University of New England last Saturday, 14-10. Eaton said the game fatigued the squad going into Sunday’s match, but the Bonnies were ready for their next matchup regardless.
“Honestly, I wasn’t too worried about Sunday’s game,” Eaton said. “We were able to watch Sacred Heart play on Saturday, and after we played the toughest game of our lives against University of New England, it looked like playing Sacred Heart was going to be a piece of cake. But this also meant that we were hurting. We played our hearts out on Saturday and people were tired, sore, bruised, and just plain in pain, which would mean that Sunday’s game would test our endurance and our ability to bounce back, which I think we did well.”
Hines said the team showed a lot of heart against Sacred Heart, despite being tired and beaten up.
“We treated Sunday’s game no differently than any other game to try and keep the nervousness and the jitters low,” Hines said. “We also felt like the system that we put in place was one that our ruggers had grown accustomed to and could carry out with no problem. They made us proud fighting it out until the very last whistle and proving that St. Bonaventure belongs there.”
As the offseason begins for the club, Hines says it is crucial to continue working on the fundamentals of the game and improving the overall fitness of the club in the offseason.
“We always feel as though our fitness could improve since we pride ourselves in the fitness of this rugby team,” Hines said. “We also stress the importance of working on the basics since without them, we can’t move on into complex phase play. Other than that, we’ll probably work out the kinks in our normal system and try to be even more successful next year.”
Eaton agreed, saying the work the women put in during the offseason will pay off in the spring season and next year’s fall season.
“I think just keeping up with and improving our fitness is key,” Eaton said. “It was definitely something that we called upon and relied upon this season and getting stronger and faster will only make us more unstoppable for the future and hopefully, finding time to play a game or two with each other in our spare time so we can stay on our toes, don’t forget the basics, and will continue to play the sport that we all love.”
waltzzd12@bonaventure.edu
