By PETER FRANCIS
(INTERN)
WESTFIELD – On the warmest day of the month, as many of the area spring sports squads held their first outdoor practices, the Rugby team at Westfield State lifted a trophy to its collective lips at the Woodward Center Thursday, as the Owls were awarded the New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) division four championship after defeating Nichols College.
Assorted athletic officials were on hand to congratulate the team on their title, which marks the first NERFU championship for the Owls, who have until this season been known as the Black Squirrels, a homage to the unique mammals that scurry around the WSU campus.
As a club sport, the rugby Owls aren’t affiliated with the NCAA, but that doesn’t mean that school officials aren’t proud of these birds in blue.
“We’re proud of the rugby team, as they’ve exhibited a lot of dedication on the field, and class off it,” said Richard Lenfest, the Director of Athletics at Westfield State, “We’re proud to have another champion here at Westfield.”
Since forming in 2008, the Owls/ Black Squirrels have grown from a motley crew of weekend warriors to champions. “There were a lot of growing pains,” said senior Zach Graves, a native of South Boston who was one of the team’s founding members and played for Trinity College during his study abroad program in Ireland last semester. “Coming from last season when we won our first playoff game, to this as seniors, it’s unreal.”
After finishing the 2011fall semester season with a perfect 5-0-0 record, the Owls blitzed division IV central rival Wesleyan of Middletown, Connecticut in the first round, leading up to a showdown with south division rival Lasell College of Newton, who sat at 5-0 themselves in the regular season. In an exciting, physical contest, the Owls beamed the Lasers out of the tournament en route to a championship match against perennial power Nichols College of Dudley, who finished beneath WSU in the standings at 3-1-1.
The Owls’ physicality, discipline and desire proved to be too much as they stormed past the Bison in the finals en route to their first NERFU title, which for seniors like Graves and Brent Bell, it was the perfect way to go out in style.
“It definitely means a lot,” said Bell, a senior fly half from Marshfield who served as captain this season, “when I got here, there was no team. All I wanted was to leave with a team on campus, and we ended up with a championship. That’s what dedication and determination gets you.”
Some of the team’s younger players are also thrilled with the victory, but are intensely focused at the same time.
“After last season, we (the younger players) realized what we had to do to win more tournament games,” said sophomore Jake Tannian of Haverhill, “fall came this year, and we just kept winning.”
“It all started with Coach,” said junior wing John Hagerty of Abington, “we stayed focused and took it week by week.”
The coach in reference is first year man Dan Lancour, a resident of Agawam, and a Westfield State alum. Lancour got into rugby 8 years ago when he was asked to play for the Springfield Rugby Club, of which he has captained twice during his tenure with the organization.
When asked of his team’s season, Lancour was bashful. “The groundwork was already laid by the previous coaching regime,” Lancour said, “the boys already had the skills, I just helped to expand the playbook and tweak the basics a bit.”
Coach Lancour praised the efforts of his seniors. “Our veteran leadership was a major strength,” he said, “we had guys who had knowledge of the game, understood the game, showed up to play when it counted. All the hard work and muddy days and turf burns made us a championship team. I’m proud of these guys.”
So what awaits the Owls? They start up again at the end of March, with games on the 30th and 31st at Westfield State’s Alumni Field. But a bit of uncertainty awaits this band of “ruggers.”
“We’re going to begin next season by moving up to division three.” Hagerty said, meaning the Owls would be facing off against the likes of Salve Regina, Roger Williams, Bryant and Wheaton, just to name a few. “But our goal is the same. To bring another trophy back to Westfield.”