As the club rugby team moves towards the championship round of the Southwest Collegiate Rugby Conference Championship Sevens Tournament, they’re gaining confidence that they can compete with the tough competition they face.
After sweeping five wins in the first round of the tournament, the Cougars have gained confidence ahead of their second round competition, hoping to clinch a spot in the conference championship round.
The results from the first round and next week’s second round will determine the seeding for the championship round on April 23 at UNT. The Cougars have played the majority of these teams during the fifteens season and know they will be tough competition, but everything changes when it comes to sevens.
“The favorites in general usually are UNT and Texas State,” acting head coach Sam Enari said. “They’ve been good strong programs in the conference for a long time. So those will probably be the top two teams to look for.”
The Cougars had high expectations for their sevens season, but got off to a rough start in a friendly tournament against the Sam Houston Bearkats where the Cougars were simply outplayed. In the ensuing weeks, the Cougars have been hard at work during practice knowing the teams they are facing will be much tougher than Sam Houston.
“We’ve been very adamant about working on our defense,” scrum-half Bryan Monks said. “Communication has also been a really big thing as well, and just trying to play a good, slow game but also come out on top.”
Players unanimously consider junior hooker Abe Blanco, inside center Brett Funderburk and fullback and team captain Ryan Becker to be the standout performers. Each one of them were the leaders for the team during the fifteens season and are expected to play quality rugby for the Cougars if they want a chance to win the tournament.
“Really, if you look at the tournament from a player’s standpoint, we’ve got the skill,” junior prop Mike Wendt said. “We’ve got seven really good guys, but we’re trying to develop our backups. And also, we need really good chemistry because a lot of players work, so it’s hard to get them out to practice.”
The Cougars understand that the tables are stacked against them, but they know that anything is possible in sevens. If all the players are fit, focused and ready to play, the Cougars will be able to show what they have to offer to the rest of the conference and that they are serious about getting to nationals.
“Like anything, you’ve got to win it,” Wendt said. “This is our way to show that we deserve to be here. This is where we come out and make a statement.”
