By Derek Borycki
Contributing Writer
The St. Bonaventure University men’s rugby team got their first win in the Rugby East Conference last weekend in a 76th minute comeback victory against Wheeling Jesuit University.
Getting this first win is a big step for the Bonnies, and they are excited to show what St. Bonaventure rugby is capable of.
Colin Sustersic is a freshman who was the top try scorer in D1AA Ohio Rugby.
“It honestly feels great,” Sustersic said. “It just shows that this program may have started off a little slow, but we are making large strides in the right direction.”
Sustersic also touched on how it felt to score a try for his team and contribute to a win as a freshman.
“After setting that ball down and looking up and seeing all my teammates running and coming to congratulate me, it just felt like I’ve been here for years,” Sustersic said. “That’s what makes this team so special. We’re a family. It doesn’t matter what class you’re from. We all pitch in everything we can for a win.”
The Bonnies took the lead late in the game after keeping it close throughout the entire match.
“The whole game we never felt like we were out of it,” Sustersic said. “We knew we were capable of making a comeback, and that’s exactly what we did. It’s the best feeling in the world seeing hard work pay off.”
Francisco Herenu is a junior who was named to the All-Argentina HS Team.
Herenu touched on how it felt to score the go-ahead try for his team and how his teammates made it happen.
“It is awesome to score the try to win the game,” Herenu said. “Nevertheless, in rugby, scoring is the result of team play, and the little details which do not show [like the breakdown, tackling, rucking] are the most important.”
This will be the Bonnies’ first away game in three weeks as the last two games against Penn State University and Wheeling Jesuit have been home.
Christian Artuso, a junior fly half, was named MVP at Bonnies high school rugby camp in 2013.
“Road games can be daunting, but West Point is in its own league,” Artuso said. “The campus is as official as you would expect, and from the minute you pass through the gates, you get conflicted feelings of American pride and the sense that you’re in enemy territory. Their complex holds about 1,000 people, and last time we played, there was well over 2,000 fans.”
The Bonnies also must deal with the changes that come with a road game opposed to a home game.
“The biggest difference between games is the travel,” Artuso said. “To play the best teams in the northeast, we often have to travel four to six hours. We only want to play teams that are better than us, and those schools are located near New York City or in West Virginia and Ohio. So, the challenge is being on a bus for so many hours and then being able to switch on when it comes time to play.”
Artuso went on to talk about the team’s camaraderie and how it brings them closer together.
“The camaraderie is the best thing about this team,” Artuso said. “It is crazy to think that we see each other for three-to-four hours a day and have to work really hard together and still be friends. Of course, we get on each other’s nerves, but that is what being a family is about. We are all brothers and anyone who spends time with the team can feel the love we share for the game and for each other. Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family.”
The Brown and White have a tough matchup this week against Army-West Point.
“Army won’t be any surprises or fancy play,” Artuso said. “They are a straightforward team that is all about physicality. Our best chance to compete with them is to outsmart them, which our players are certainly capable of doing.”
St. Bonaventure and Army-West Point face off Saturday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m.
boryckdm17@bonaventure.edu
