Former United Rugby Club (Utah) players pose after Saturday's National Championship (L to R): Jeff Ott, Luke Mocke, Collin Bush, Chris Wernli, Jordan Lowry (front), Dan Hubert, Aaron Webber, Keith Hubert and Scott Gowdy

Provo, UT—After BYU’s third national title in the last five years Cougar head coach David Smyth and his staff were asked to highlight the keys to their recent success.

During this analysis a little-known group of juniors were mentioned by Smyth and his staff as being a large part of the team’s overall success during the last five years.

With a 12-2 2013 record that included two losses to men’s Elite Cup teams New York Athletic Club and Old Puget Sound Beach BYU kept their collegiate unbeaten streak at 28-0 since May of 2011.

In that time the Cougars won back-to-back National Championships with the most recent coming at BYU’s South Field Stadium in dramatic fashion over the 26-time champion California with a last second drop goal to win the Varsity Cup National Championship 27-24.

This string of success hasn’t come without the efforts of a wide number of players, but Smyth said a group of players that has been part of each National Championship game in last five years.

“We have a group of guys on this team that haven’t lost a collegiate match since they came to BYU,” said BYU’s Smyth, “That’s no small feat since that period of time covers three seasons and three National Championships.”

The group Smyth is referencing includes five juniors who all have rugby roots from two of the country’s historically top rugby programs in Highland Rugby and United Rugby, both clubs being based in the state of Utah, while one was a walk-on having never played rugby before coming to BYU.

This collegiately undefeated junior class includes the following players:
• Jordan Lowry (United Rugby)
• Colin Bush (United Rugby)
• Kyle Sumsion (United Rugby)
• Chris Wernli (United Rugby)
• Will Taylor (Walk-On)
• Paul Lasike (Highland Rugby)

As freshmen the above group helped the Cougars go 18-0 in 2009 and win their first-ever National Championship by coming from behind to beat California 25-22. Of note is that Lowry, Lasike and Sumsion all started as true freshman in this 2009 championship game.

With all of above six players taking time off from their academic and athletic endeavors to serve their respective LDS missions in 2010 and 2011 the Cougars reached the championship game without them, but failed to win losing both years to California.

In 2012, with a seasoned group of senior players that included All Americans and future Eagles like prop Mikey Su’a, scrumhalf Shaun Davies and flyhalf Dylan Lubbe, the above group returned to BYU helping the Cougars go undefeated against all collegiate and men’s opposition and capping the year with a 49-42 victory over Arkansas State in the National Championship game.

Again, Lowry, Sumsion and Lasike started for the Cougars in the 2012 championship as they did in 2009, with Wernli seeing substitute minutes coming on for All American center Seki Kofe.

And most recently, despite two set backs against men’s division teams this season, this group of juniors helped carry a young BYU team to an undefeated collegiate record and finished 2013 by maintaining South Field’s overall undefeated record against collegiate competition.

All of these six juniors factored in the Cougars’ 2013 campaign with Lowry, Sumsion, Wernli, Taylor and Lasike all starting in BYU’s title tilt against California last Saturday. Bush wasn’t available for selection due to an injury sustained against UCLA in the Varsity Cup quarterfinals, where he started at lock against the Bruins.

“We’ve been very lucky to have a lot of good players come through BYU,” Smyth said, “Scores have been selected as All Americans, many have become Eagles and a few have had the chance to play professionally. But I think it’s no coincidence that this junior class of players have been central to our program’s success.”

With 40 All Americans, 12 USA Eagles and two professional players hailing form the Cougars ranks over the program’s history Smyth sees a bright future for these players who have helped carry the BYU program and others who will come after.

“These juniors are the recipients of others who laid a foundation of success for them to build on,” Smyth said, “They’re a hard-working group and they know that it’s their job to leave this program better than when they found it. So there’s still a lot of work for them to do.”

Smyth was quick to mention that the success of the BYU program isn’t just on the efforts these juniors alone, but also the many the seniors who are graduating like captain Ryan Roundy and All American prop Ray Forrester who both hailed from Highland Rugby during their high school careers.

“We have a lot of kids who have put in a lot of effort over the years,” Smyth said, “We’re fortunate to have the majority of our players coming to us with years of rugby experience because of the local rugby clubs here in Utah.”

Of the 53 man BYU roster over only 3 didn’t play rugby in the United States before coming to BYU–lock TJ Allred (Canada), scrumhalf Inoke Funaki (Tonga) and lock Rob Starling (UK). The remainder either played their rugby in Utah (26 players) or another location in the USA (16 players) or “walked-on” the BYU team having had no prior experience with rugby (8).

BYU now turns its attention to finding the next generation of Cougars as coaches and players will attend the Utah State Rugby Championships today and Saturday at the University of Utah Soccer Field.

For details and information on the Utah State Rugby Championships go to www.UtahYouthRugby.org. Admission is $5 a person with kids under 5 getting in for free.

In the last eight years the Golden Bears and Cougars have met for the national championship seven times—a streak of collegiate sport dominance unrivaled by other varsity sports.

With the consensus national championship match looming large players from both teams shared their thoughts on what fans of both schools know will be an epic showdown on South Field.

BYU Rugby: 2013 Varsity Cup National Champions

Provo, UT–The BYU Cougars won their third national championship in the last five years via a last-second drop goal from freshman flyhalf Jonny Linehan beating perennial champion California 27-24.

An evenly and hotly contested national title match drew near full-time in front of a capacity South Field Stadium crowd with BYU pressuring deep inside the California.

With the teams tied at 24-24 a BYU scrum left Cougar captain Ryan Roundy inches from the tryline. But a deft pass from the base of the ensuing ruck to Linehan gave the young flyhalf the hero’s touch capping an Vasity Cup National Championship MVP performance.

“I was just feeling it,” Linehan would say recounting his 22-point championship performance, “The drop goal was just one of those things where I had the space and I was right in front of the posts. I’m just glad it went over.”

With Linehan’s kick having crossed the posts in injury time, referee Brian Zapp blew the final whistle in the favor of the Cougars’ third Varsity Cup National Championship.

“To have a team like Cal on our home field and to be playing for the Varsity Cup is something you just never thought would happen,” said BYU senior captain Ryan Roundy, “And then to win this game the way we did. It’s going to take a while for it to really set in.”

The win over 26-time national champion California came with the Cougars taking a 16-10 lead into the halftime break.

BYU would surge to a 16-3 in the 26th minute after three penalty goals and an 11th minute from Linehan.

Jonny Linehan makes his drop goal to win the game.

Cal would edge back with freshman flyhalf Russell Webb taking a quick tap close to the BYU tryline and spinning away from a would-be tackler for the score.

Yellow cards to BYU and Cal players along with heroic defensive efforts from both teams proved to define the second half until a late change in field position gave Cal a scrum close to the BYU tryline.

A hard run from substitute Golden Bears center Jesse Milne and offload to his captain center Seamus Kelly to knot the game even at 24-a-piece after a Cal conversion in the 75th minute.

“I knew this game was going to come down to the wire,” said BYU head coach David Smyth, “Cal is a great team. You don’t win as many championships as they [Cal] have and not have the ability to battle like they did. Both teams had their moments. But fortunately for us, we had just one more than they did.”

With the conclusion to the Varsity Cup National Championship Smyth said the caliber of today’s match testifies to the growth of collegiate rugby and the ability for college rugby to help grow the game at large in the USA.

“The crowd, the broadcast and the events surrounding today’s Varsity Cup National Championship shows we’re moving this sport in the right direction,” Smyth said, “If today’s game is an example of things to come for the Varsity Cup, then I’m excited to see where it and collegiate rugby can go.”

The BYU Cougars wrap up their 2013 season with an 11-2 record their third national title in five years while also maintaining their undefeated collegiate record on South Field since their inaugural season there in 2009.

For more news and information on the BYU Rugby program follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

The Scoring Summary:
11:00 Jonny Linehan 5, 2
17:00 CAL: Jake Anderson 3
18:00 Jonny Linehan 3
22:00 Jonny Linehan 3
26:00 Jonny Linehan 3
34:00 CAL: Russell Webb 5, Jake Anderson 2
Halftime Score: BYU 16 California 10
57:00 Jonny Linehan 3
62:00 CAL: Jack O’Beirne 5, Jake Anderson 2
71:00 TJ Allred 5
74:00 CAL: Seamus Kelly 5, Jake Anderson 2
80:00 Jonny Linehan 3 (drop goal)
Final Score: BYU 27, California 24

BYU
15. Will Taylor, 14. Chris Wernli (Andrew Carver @ 78:00), 13. Paul Lasike, 12. Seki Kofe, 11. Jordan Lowry, 10. Jonny Linehan, 9. Luke Mocke, 1. David Collins, 2. Scott Gowdy, 3. Ray Forrester, 4. TJ Allred, 5. Braden Bair (Dan Hubert @ 70:00), 6. Kody Thompson, 7. Kyle Sumsion, 8. Ryan Roundy ©

CALIFORNIA
15. Anderson, 14. Tucker, 13. Kelly ©, 12. Braun (Milne @ 67:00), 11. Battaglia (Adolphus @ 76:00), 10. Webb, 9. Boyer, 1. Mohr, 2. Hyjer, 3. Hurrell, 4. Barrett, 5. Daly, 6. O’Beirne (Hendrickson @ 77:00), 7. Gletzer, 8. De Nysschen (Bush @ 70:00)

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Saturday’s clash of national rugby powerhouses marks the 7th time in the last 8 years that the two teams will meet. This will be BYU’s 8th straight championship game appearance after winning the title last year 49-42 over Arkansas State at Rio Tinto Stadium in front of 10,000 fans.

California owns the recent post-season series between the two teams dating back to 2006 with a 6-1 record and the last meeting also at Rio Tinto Stadium in front of over 12,000 fans going in the favor of the Golden Bears in 2011 by the score 21-14.

The Cougars beat the Bears in 2009 by the score 25-22 at Stanford’s Steuber Rugby Stadium when BYU came from behind in dramatic fashion after an early 12-0 deficit.

BYU captain Ryan Roundy knows this Saturday’s clash will be one he and his teammates won’t soon forget.

“This is one of those days you really look forward to,” Roundy said, “To have Cal on your home pitch here at South Field and to be playing for a National Championship on top of that. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.”

California comes into Saturday’s title tilt on a tear having beat a strong Navy side 74-6 last Saturday in the Varsity Cup semifinals in Berkeley after beating Notre Dame 77-0 the week before in the quarterfinals.

The Golden Bears won the Pacific Athletic Conference title outright with a 5-0 record and currently hold a 21-0 overall record on the 2013 season.

With 26 National Championship trophies residing in Berkeley, BYU head coach David Smyth knows it will take more than home field advantage to beat Cal and take home his own program’s third title.

“Cal is Cal,” said Smyth, “great players focused on one thing and that’s beating you. No matter when or where you play them you can expect a strong and well-disciplined team that goes for all 80 minutes. They require your maximum focus and effort as a team if you’re to stand a chance at beating them.”

The Cougars meanwhile have recorded two solid victories in postseason play over UCLA (69-8) two weeks ago and Central Washington (53-20) in the Varsity Cup semifinals and hold an 11-2 overall record with the two losses coming to men’s Elite Cup teams Old Puget Sound and New York Athletic Club.

“We might not have won those games [against NYAC and OPSB],” Smyth recounted, “But they did what they were supposed to do and that was to help make us a better team.”

Despite the two losses to top men’s sides, BYU holds an undefeated record on South Field to collegiate opponents and hasn’t lost to a collegiate team in Provo since 2006.

“We love playing at South Field,” senior prop Ray Forrester said, “We have some of the best fans in the country. They expect to see wins at South Field and we hope to live up to that expectation on Saturday.”

Saturday’s championship game will be the first national title game played on South Field and will also be Cal’s first trip to Provo in nearly three decades where the Bears won 44-6 in Provo in 1983.

BYU and Cal will square off for the consensus national collegiate championship at 1pm MT on Saturday, May 4th. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.BYUTickets.com. Fans are advised to purchase tickets early, as seating will be limited.

The Varsity Cup National Collegiate Rugby Championship will be broadcast live to a local, national and worldwide audience on KSL.com, DesNews.com and via the Varsity Cup’s YouTube Channel.

For more information on the BYU Rugby program as they lead up to Saturday’s epic clash with the Golden Bears of Cal follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information on the Varsity Cup go to www.VarsityCup.US.

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BYU & CWU set to scrum in their Varsity Cup National Championship Semifinal (Courtesy Dave Brinton)

Provo, UT–The BYU Cougars advanced to their 8th straight National Championship game today by beating the Central Washington Wildcats 53-20 on South Field in the semifinals of the Varsity Cup.

BYU had to overcome an early deficit after falling behind by eight points 15-7 in the 22nd minute of the first half.

But 46 unanswered points over the next 50 minutes of the game gave the Cougars the victory.

BYU started the scoring first with junior fullback Will Taylor dotting down in the 6th minute following a junior center Seki Kofe’s midfield linebreak. Freshman flyhalf Jonny Linehan would convert and the Cougars led 7-0.

CWU would respond in kind with a driving maul from 5 meters out that led to lock Sean Wanigasekera’s opening Wildcat try in the 11th minute.

Another series of possession exchanges and a BYU penalty would lead to CWU fullback Alex Reher’s penalty kick 15th minute and a CWU lead of 8-7.

Some errors by both sides followed until CWU flyhalf Max Nawerski split the BYU defense in the midfield that eventually led to Wildcat wing Josh Bower scoring from long distance in the 22nd minute.

A wide angle conversion by CWU’s Reher would push the Wildcats’ lead to 15-7 giving the CWU sideline plenty to cheer about.

The Cougars weren’t deterred however by CWU’s early lead.

“They’re [CWU] a good team,” said BYU captain Ryan Roundy, “We knew they were going to come at us hard and in all credit to them they really had us on the ropes there. But I knew our guys had it in them and it was just about getting back to the basics and playing our game.”

The Cougars did just that and used their game to get back into the game with tries from junior winger Chris Wernli and junior hooker Ishmael Tilialo in the 30th and 37th minutes respectively.

BYU captain Ryan Roundy stiff-arms a would-be CWU tackler close to the goal line. (Courtesy Dave Brinton)

At the break the Cougars would edge back into the lead 19-15; a lead which BYU wouldn’t relinquish.

“BYU is a quality program and we knew that coming into this match,” said CWU head coach Tony Pacheco,”We knew we needed to play without mental mistakes and we did that for 40 minutes. We played the first half extremely well at a level where we needed to be. In the second half, we had some momentum opportunities but we didn’t quite seize them. Hats off to BYU for putting it together and coming through some adversity in the first half.”

The second half started with CWU pressuring close to the BYU goal line, when senior prop Ray Forrester poached the Wildcats’ ball in the 43rd minute.

The ball was passed wide through the BYU backline to Wernli who raced past the CWU defense 50 meters to finish the 90 meter-plus long try.

“That was a big play,” said BYU assistant coach Justen Nadauld, “That could have dramatically changed how the course of the second half went had they been able to score. It really put the momentum in our direction and we were able to build on it.”

BYU freshman scrum half Luke Mocke was next to score for the Cougars in the 51st minute after a deft chip and chase close to the sideline gave the young halfback his first try of the game.

Another try for the Cougars from Kofe in the 53rd minute was followed by a Linehan penalty that would push the BYU lead out to 41-15.

Mocke would squirm his way for another short-range try in the 65th minute, which was followed by a final BYU try from Roundy in the 75th minute.

A late try from CWU in the 78th minute by replacement wing Shelby Williams would round out the final score in favor of the Cougars 53-20.

“I thought CWU played very well in the first half,” said BYU head coach David Smyth, “They really had us on the back foot for long periods of time. They were able to disrupt our set pieces as well. But when we were able to maintain possession and set a better platform from which to release our backs, I thought we were pretty dangerous and did some nice things.”

The Cougars now move on to the Varsity Cup National Championship game next Saturday, May 4th at 1pm which is set to be hosted at BYU South Field Stadium.

BYU will face a familiar foe in the title match as perennial champion California beat the Navy Midshipmen today in Berkeley by the score of 74-6.

BYU lock Kyle Sumsion makes a tackle in the midfield as the digital scoreboard looks on.

Of the eight straight championship bouts the Cougars have played in seven of them have come against the Golden Bears from Cal.

BYU and Cal last met in 2011 in the National Championship at Rio Tinto Stadium with the Bears coming up victors 21-14 in a hotly contested affair.

Saturday’s title tilt between the Bears and the Cougars will be a series of firsts with BYU hosting the National Championship for the first time in the history of the program, while also being the first time the Bears have traveled to Provo in postseason play.

Tickets for Saturday’s championship clash are available for advance purchase at BYUTickets.com.

For more information as the Cougars prepare for the May 4th Varsity Cup National Championship follow the Cougars on Facebook and Twitter.

MATCH SUMMARY: BYU vs. CWU–April 27, 2013
BYU 1st XV

1. David Collins (David Williams 48′)
2. Ishmael Tilialo (Scott Gowdy 45′)
3. Ray Forrester
4. TJ Allred
5. Kyle Sumsion
6. Dan Hubert (Braden Bair 56′)
7. Kody Thompson (Jeff Ott 73′)
8. Ryan Roundy (c)
9. Luke Mocke (Inoke Funaki 75′)
10. Jonny Linehan (Lelann Latu 70′)
11. Jordan Lowry
12. Seki Kofe (Andrew Carver 70′)
13. Paul Lasike
14. Chris Wernli
15. Will Taylor

CWU 1st XV

1. Korbin Lindell
2. Jacob Bates
3. Clint Lemkus
4. Tyler Coffman
5. Sean Wanigasekera
6. Patrick Blair
7. Aladdin Schirmer
8. Ryan Snider
9. Andrew Nelson
10. Max Narewski
11. Josh Bower
12. Zach Siemens
13. Tanner Barnes
14. Beau Nichols
15. Alex Reher

SCORING:
BYU: 53
TRIES: Taylor 6′; Wernli 30′, 44′; Tilialo 37′; Mocke 51′, 65′; Kofe 53′; Roundy 75′
CONVERSIONS: Linehan 5/7; Lasike 0/1
PENALTIES: Linehan 1/2 (56′)

CWU: 8
TRIES: Wanigasekera 11′; Bower 22′
CONVERSIONS: Reher 1/2
PENALTIES: Reher 1/1 (15′)