beat the White Plans Football Club 11-5 in A-Side play last Saturday at State Park.
The two teams play in the spring Social League. The name was generated from the time of year when rugby clubs are allowed to contact one another to set up their own spring schedules. Many of the games in the Social League are inter-league. The NRFC is a Division 2 member of New England Rugby Football Union.
White Plains scored a try, similar to a touchdown, which is worth five points, but failed to convert the kick worth two points.
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Shawn Churchill scored a try for Newport, but also could not covert the kick.
The remaining six points for the Newport club came from two converted penalty kicks by team captain Jude Kerrison.
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Newport Rugby was founded in 1980 and has three distinct groups within the club. The club consists of social members, who pay dues, the Old Boys, who played in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, and the Young Boys. The Young Boys are the club's present players, and are divided into A and B squads, said NRFC Secretary Matt Gray.
“The A squad is the older more experienced players. The B squad are the younger players who have just started and are learning the sport,” he said. “We have the nicest pitch or field in all the league and it’s regulation sized. Because of this we always host the every year."
This year's tournament will be held on May 14 and 15, and hosted 64 teams last year, he said. Newport came in second place in the NERFU Tournament to the Burlington rugby club.
“As for the make-up of our club, many of our players have played in college and want to continue to play. But, we also have brand new guys that have never played the game. We’re very lucky to be able to recruit from NAPS. These guys are 18, 19, 20 year olds and mostly play on our B squad,” Gray said.
NAPS, or the Naval Academy Preparatory School, is located at the Naval War College.
“What makes a great rugby player? He has to be aggressive and fearless. It’s a violent game without pads or equipment that I would say is the most team oriented games out there. And at the end of it all we go have “drinkups” with the other club we forget all about it. It’s a great time,” Gray said.
The NRFC's next home game will be against the.
The Rhode Island Cup will be held on May 7, with Newport going head to head against the only other rugby club in the state, the Providence Rugby Football Club.
