Tigers Rugby traveled to Pleasant View Park to take on the Boulder Lions RFC on May 7, 2013. The Tigers were caught flat footed on the kick off in Boulder was up 7- 0 after a minute. 50. Boulder scored two more tries despite a strong effort by the Tigers’ forwards and backs. Ian Ludtke pushed in the first Tigers try in the second half after consecutive rucks. Though the backlight was occasionally sucked in, they establish some momentum, and carried the ball well throughout the game. Forwards were occasionally unorganized in pods, and consistently drove the Lions backwards and deep into their territory. R.J. Ramcharansingh strengthened the Tigers effort, scoring a try to close this the gap to five points at 17-12 with three minutes remaining. On the last play, Boulder punched one in to close the scoring at 22 to 12.

Tigers were encouraged by their season, showing substantial improvement over last year's team. Though winning only game against league opponents, they were 4-8 overall, 2-6 as a Varsity squad, and 2-2 against underclassmen. With as many as 26 players potentially returning to the Tigers ranks for 2014, the high school boys from the Arvada, Westminster and Broomfield area developed a chemistry and an understanding of the laws, strategies and the fitness required to excel.

The Tigers will play a match against the Tigers rugby coaches and alumni during the annual general meeting on May 29^th at 5:00 pm. The coaching staff and board of directors would like to congratulate the Tigers for their efforts, and thanks to parents and fans, who supported us throughout the season with driving and financial support to empower young Tigers in their quest.

2013 Tigers Rugby HS Boys Schedule (4-10, 1-4 in Division II league play)
Tues 2/12/13 Regis Jesuit 22, Tigers RFC 5 (at Holy Family HS)
Sat 2/16/13 Tigers RFC 31, at Denver East B side 5
Sat 2/23/13 Northside Vikings 32, at Tigers RFC 5
Sat 3/16/13  Tigers RFC 34, at Warriors RFC 5
Wed 3/20/13  PAC Rugby 66,  at Tigers RFC 0
Mon 4/1/13 Titans 20 Tigers/SWARM 5; Tigers/Swarm 20, Co. Springs 10
Thurs 4/4/2013 Northside Vikings 10, Tigers RFC 5
Mon 4/8/13 East F/S 15, Tigers/Regis 10; Tigers/Regis 20, Co. Springs/SWARM 5
Wed 4/10/13 – Castle Rock 36, at Tigers RFC 22
Sat 4/13/13 –  Fort Collins 38, Tigers 10
Wed 4/17/13 @ 5:00pm – Pikes Peak at Tigers RFC (Canceled by snow)
Sat 4/27/13 @ 10:00am – State Playoffs at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park: Aspen Jr. Gents 53, Tigers RFC 7
Tues 5/7/13 @ 5:00pm – Boulder 22, Tigers RFC 12
Sat 5/4/13 @ 10:15am – State Semi-Finals at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Sat 5/11/13 @ 11:00am – State Championships at Infinity Park
Sat 5/18/13 (Time TBD) – All Star Matches at Denver University

Tigers Rugby Football Club continued their spring 2013 season in Division II league play with Rugby Colorado. The playoff match against the Aspen Junior Gents on April 27^th started as a strong and competitive effort by the Tigers, after Ben Onaindia scored in the first have to close the gap at 14 to 7. With injuries to Patrick Heneghan and Brian McDonald, the floodgates opened in the backfield, and Aspen commanded a 31-7 lead at halftime. The final score of 53 to 7 moved the Aspen Junior Gents on to the semifinals of the Division II championship to be held on May 11 at Infiniti Park in Glendale Colorado.

Rugby Colorado features 24 schools from all over the state, forming three divisions. The Tigers have a long history of success. However, the largest returning class of players will be available for Tigers RFC in the Northwest Metro Denver region for the 2014 season. All are welcome to join the 24 returning players. Tigers Rugby will begin training again on Saturdays in December and will practice three days per week beginning in January 2014.

A youth-oriented program is competing in the next six weeks under a 5 to 15-year-old age range. TRY rugby jamborees are played on Saturdays from May 18 through July 4 weekends. Over 1000 participants in the TRY program are returning to compete in this highly successful program. TRY programs are located in North Denver, Wheat Ridge, Boulder, and Thornton to teach young players the second most popular game of the world, rugby football.

The development of the Tigers has been clearly evident throughout the season. Three periods of snow and cold weather interrupted the season throughout the past six months. However the Tigers were able to play in 12 contests, winning four, which was an improvement from the previous year. Highlights included the play of a contingent of Arvada West players including Caleb Thomas, Zach Meyer, Dominick Hart, Austin O’Gorman and Brendan Sullivan. Peak to Peak High School contributed captain Benji Onaindia, Nathen Hepp, Rj Ramcharansingh, Ralston Valley brought Jamison Escobar, Ean Ludtke, Josiah Loving, Jack Keys, and. Broomfield high school freshman Matt Lloyd and schoolmate Josh Sheinberg provided impressive support as freshmen. Liam O'Connor, and Billy Gillespie broadened the Tigers draw to include Legacy High School. Holy Family High School was well represented by Tommy Spitzer, Bryan McDonald, Patrick Heneghan, Joseph Boselli and Gimin Park. Pomona High School’s Lucas Russell and Eighth graders Will Vowles and Sam Pellien were active in their first years with Tigers RFC.

April 13, 2013: Dozens traveled to Ft. Collins to witness another strong Tigers performance against the other first place team in Division II. This time the deficit was a 38 point improvement over the PAC score (only 24 days ago). Tigers tries were delivered by Jamison Escobar (Ralston Valley) and Caleb Thomas (A West).

Kudos go out to the forwards for grinding it out well against a big, strong Ft. Collins pack. Ean Ludtke and Zach Myers were impressive in the loose play, setting the pace often the Tigers attack (offense). The backline was creative and ran hard. Counter rucking on both sides of the ball was a demonstration of commitment and skills progressing well over the past few weeks.

April 10, 2013

Tigers Rugby’s Boys HS Side Roster (vs. Castle Rock): Joseph Boselli, Jamison Escobar, William Gillespie, Dominick Hart, Patrick Heneghan, Jack Keys, Matthew Lloyd, Ean Ludtke, Bryan McDonald, Zach Meyers, Liam O’Connor, Austin O’Gorman, Ben Onaindia, Sam Pellien, Arjun Ramcharansingh, Tommy Spitzer, Brennan Sullivan, Caleb Thomas, William Vowles,

Some of the best rugby played by the Tigers in a long while was on display at Broomfield County Commons Park. The Castle Rock Rugby Club moved to 3 wins against no losses for Division II league play, while the Tigers are now 1-2. The Tigers scored four tries and converted one, versus Castle Rock’s 6 tries and 3 conversions.

The off loading and short takes by multiple forwards and backs in sustained phase play was encouraging to all the Tigers community. Great defensive counter rucking and kicking pressure was a highlight of the Tigers effort, forcing repeated mistakes by Castle Rock. The Tigers kept coming back over two convincing periods, including most of the second half.  

Tries by Dominick Hart (A West), Ben Onaindia (Peak to Peak), and 2 by Jamison Esobar (Ralston Valley)!

Next up: Saturday, April 13 at Greenbriar Park in Ft. Collins. Kickoff at 11:00 am.

Map link: http://www.soccerfieldsofcolorado.com/fields/greenbriar_park

Tigers Rugby’s HS Boys side returned to play after second two-week delay in their season. Snow and rain have moved the majority of Tigers rugby league play into April. The Tigers engaged in a scrimmage with North Side Vikings on April 3. A rematch of sorts was a success for the Tigers who were beaten handily by the Vikings on February 23rd by score 32 to 5.

Tigers Rugby dominated the first 10 minutes of the scrimmage, nearly scoring three tries, and ultimately settling for one.  The Northside Vikings were subject to the aggressive Tigers Rugby forwards play, and back line opportunities deep in the Vikings territory to start the match on April 3rd.   Zack Myers, Ean Luedtke, Nathan Hepp, Dominick Hart, and Austin O’Gorman established a pattern of aggressive forward runs for 10 minutes to start the scrimmage. A series of three try line opportunities were well managed by the Vikings, who saw a different game plan than was evident on February 23rd from the Tigers. The attack slowed and lost depth, giving the Vikings the ball back with knock-ons and infractions. The fading Tigers onslaught allowed the Vikings to escape the clutches of a Tigers victory.  The Vikings stiffened their defense and scored two tries late to overcome the Tigers with a 10 to 5 score.

With spring break officially coming to an end, the Tigers have three weeks to finalize preparations for a playoff run. Four months of developing skills, patterns, and unity have come down to the next 22 days including six league contests. The Tigers will play five matches before the first round of the playoffs on April 27. Three home matches provide Tigers an opportunity to establish important seeding position in the quest for the Division II state championship.

Age grade level play for eighth, ninth and 10th graders will also continue including April 8th and April 22nd at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Paul Emerick, US Eagle at wing and center was on hand to analyze the Tigers and provided spot-on observations.  Paul will help the Tigers with the process of building continuity in everyone's play.  Coach Emerick will put on weekly clinics to promote these skills at practice, beginning on Tuesday, April 9th.

On Wednesday, April 10th the Tigers return to the play in Division II league play against Castle Rock at Broomfield County Commons Park. The home match against Castle Rock (2-0 in league play) will be a major test and will help decide seeding in the Tigers playoff bid. Castle Rock has fared well against opponents, but travel on Wednesday to face a Tigers team with growing confidence and skills.

Tigers Rugby faced the defending Division II Rugby Colorado state champions on March 20, 2013. The PAC Rugby Club, representing Evergreen, Platte Canyon and Conifer High Schools came 50 players strong to handle the hosting Tigers Rugby Football Club 66 to 0. The Tigers, with 23 players on hand offered an afternoon of entertaining opposition, with the starting back row of Josiah Loving, Nate Hepp and Tommy Spitzer. After tackling a large PAC forward, and suffering in injury to his neck and a slight concussion, Josiah Loving was replaced by the Tigers Man of the Match, Zach Myers. The Tigers stiffen their defense and help the PAC club to 26 points in the second half. The third half was played, demonstrating sportsmanship between the two clubs. The B-side of PAC outpaced the Tigers also and stand at 2-0, while Tigers RFC slipped to one win and one loss in the league standings.

After a three-week delay to the start of their league season because of snow and excessive moisture, Tigers Rugby upended their gracious hosts, Warriors Rugby Football Club by a score of 34 – 5 on Saturday, March 16, 2013 near Brady High School on Ohio Avenue in Lakewood.

Nine of the first twelve scheduled matches for Tigers Rugby were postponed, including the Spring Fling tournament.  The Apex Parks and Recreation District had worked all week to prepare two rugby pitches for 7 teams, to be hosted by Tigers RFC.  But, Mother Nature dumped a foot of snow on Long Lake Ranch Park in Arvada on March 9^th, canceling the plans.  Great thanks are due to Ross Blackmer, Lynn Griffen and Apex PRD field maintenance staff for their efforts to promote rugby within the Arvada city limits.

Coached by long time rugby,  football and wrestling coach, Jim Opperman, and Erik Dachtler, the Warriors Rugby Football Club has introduced the world’s second most popular game to students at Lakewood, Bear Creek, Golden, Green Mountain, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and Alameda High Schools.  Tigers Rugby Football Club has provided opportunities to learn the game to players that attend Holy Family, Arvada West, Ralston Valley, Broomfield, Legacy, Peak to Peak, Pomona and Standley Lake High Schools for the past ten years.  Tigers RFC is coached by Paul O’Brian, Nick Samaras, Jake Gossman and Josh Morris.

The Tigers got out to a 7-0 lead in the 7^th minute of their first league match of the season, when Nathan Hepp (of Peak to Peak HS), playing the #7 position (flanker) rambled 25 meters, and grounded the ball between the goal posts for the  5 point try.  Benjamin Onaindia (Peak to Peak HS) kicked the conversion (worth 2 points).  In the 11^th minute, Bryan McDonald (Holy Family HS) rode the momentum of a driving maul into the try zone for 5 more points. Onaindia missed the second conversion, and was 2 for 6 on the day.

Bryan McDonald, from Holy Family HS, was the Tigers Rugby “Man of the Match”.  McDonald scored his first of 2 tries in the 15^th minute of the first half.  His second came in the 25^th minutes, after flanker Tommy Spitzer, of Holy Family HS took the rugby ball in from 20 meters out.  Spitzer took an off-loaded pass from Nathan Hepp, who had found his way from the midfield, before being dragged down by the Warriors backfield.

Jamison Escobar, of Ralston Valley HS had another stellar performance, showing tremendous leadership at the scrumhalf position and scored 10 points.  The first 5 of Escobar’s points were contributed in the 28^th minute of the first half, when the Tigers developed a rhythm between the forwards and backs, and marched deep into the Warriors territory, punctuated by a short take off a ruck by Escobar.

The Warriors’ “Man of the Match”, Ryan Pete scored on a short run in the 59^th minute after the Tigers, playing deep in their end, averted several Warrior opportunities. The Tigers were fortunate to able to substitute 6 players from their 29-man roster in the second half.

Escobar quick tapped a Warrior penalty and slipped past the Warrior defenders from 5 meters out for his second try. Tigers captain Ben Onaindia closed out the second half scoring with a kick between the goal posts in the 68^th minute.

Rugby is a game built on respect and community. Immediately after every rugby match both competing teams meet for a social event.  In this case, the hosting Warriors RFC provided a lunch for everyone, including players, coaches and parents from both teams.

Tigers Rugby will next face the defending Rugby Colorado Division II champions, PAC, representing Platte Canyon, Evergreen and Conifer High Schools on Championship Field at Broomfield County Commons Park on March 20th.  Kickoff is at 5:00 pm.

The roster for Tigers Rugby Football Club on 3/16/2013 vs. Warriors Rugby Football Club included:

1. Dominick Hart (Arvada West HS)
2. Brennan Sullivan (Arvada West HS)
3. Matt Lloyd (Broomfield HS)
4. Francis Kailey (Holy Family HS)
5. Zach Meyers (Arvada West HS)
6. Tommie Spitzer (Holy Family HS)
7. Nathan Hepp (Peak to Peak HS)
8. Josiah Loving (Ralston Valley HS)
9. Jamison Escobar (Ralston Valley HS)
10. Benjamin Onaindia (Peak to Peak HS)
11. Liam O’Connor (Legacy HS)
12. Bryan McDonald (Holy Family HS)
13. Patrick Heneghan (Holy Family HS)
14. Arjun Ramcharansingh (Peak to Peak HS)
15. Caleb Thomas (Arvada West HS)
16. John Henry Beattie (Thornton HS) – sub at Lock
17. Joe Boselli (Holy Family HS) – sub at Hooker
18. Lee Fazio (Broomfield HS) – sub at Wing
19. William Gillespie (Legacy HS) – sub at Lock
20. Jack Keys (Ralston Valley HS) – sub at Prop
21. Josh Sheinberg (Broomfield HS) – sub at Wing

Referee: John Kenney

Tigers Rugby practices are held at Aspen Creek Park (5093 Mountain Meadow Drive).

We start at 3:15 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at 10:00 am on Saturdays.

The Northside Vikings RFC came to Broomfield County Commons Park at the invitation of Tigers Rugby on Saturday, 2/23/2013 for a friendly (non-league) match.  The Tigers had originally been scheduled to play their first league match with the Jr. Gents of Aspen, which was postponed until a later date because of travel concerns for the Jr. Gents.

The match started in an inch of snow, but a brilliant sun warmed the rugby pitch a half hour before kickoff.  The lines were cleared early, and the residual snow disappeared in the next 45 minutes.  The Young Marines Color Guard led the Tigers traditional singing of our national anthem before the kickoff.

Each team played with only 15 of their players available.  The young Tigers wrestled the bigger Vikings to a draw for the first 15 minutes, before the Tigers went a man down, losing prop Ean Ludtke, who twisted knee.  Further out-manned, the Tigers gave up 17 points in the first half, before Jamison Escobar took a penalty tap in for a try from 10 meters out for the Tigers only 5 points of the day.

Early season jitters were evident on both sides, and high tackling was the called fairly frequently by the referee to keep the game safe.  The Vikings’ veterans Joshua Clarine and Talon Novinski took advantage of penalties often in the second half to back up the Tigers deep into their end for 15 more points.  The final score of 32-5 was a fair measure of the match, but both sides walked away with an enormous learning experience as they prepare for their league openers.

Tigers Man of the Match was Caleb Thomas of Arvada West High School.  The Vikings’ Man of the Match was their #8, Joshua Clarine, who impressed everyone, with his grasp of critical opportunities and hard running.

Next up for Tigers Rugby Football Club is perennial rival, Boulder RFC on March 6th at Pleasant View  Park in Boulder.  Kickoff is at 4:45 pm. Follow the Tigers, including Joseph Boselli, Randall Branham, Charlie Elwood, Jamison Escobar, William Gillespie, Dominick Harp, Patrick Heneghan, Nathan Hepp, Francis Kailey, Matthew Lloyd, Tomas Lopez, Josiah Loving, Ean Ludtke, Bryan McDonald, Zach Myers, Liam O’Connor, Austin O’Gorman, Ben Onaindia, Gimin Park, Samuel Pellien, Arjun Ramcharansingh, Lukas Russell, Josh Sheinberg, Brennan Sullivan, Caleb Thomas, Tommie Spitzer, and Will Vowles.  Based in Brooomfield, the Tigers have attracted players from Holy Family, Peak to Peak, Ralston Valley, Arvada West, Pomona, Brooomfield and Legacy High Schools, and Rocky Top and West Lake Middle Schools.

Rugby is the perfect sport for children of any age, gender and size. According to USA Rugby, Colorado has the third highest per capita rugby participation in the country at 60 – 72 participants per 100,000 people. The 2016 Olympics will prove to be a valuable asset to showcase the sport of rugby on a national and international level. Above all else, rugby is a sport created around safety. The injury rates of rugby are most comparable to softball. Call Coach Paul O’Brian to join in the fun and fitness at (303) 506-8110, or e-mail: xlr8pt@aol.com.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday practices will move from the Broomfield Commons to Aspen Creek Park in the Broadlands on March 1st. The schedule and results can be viewed by clicking this link: http://tigersrugby.com/2013-tigers-rugby-hs-boys-schedule/