Maryville Claims 4th in National Tournament

May 18, 2009 (Pittsburg, PA) - Tennessee high school state champs and South U19 girls rugby champions Maryville finished 4th in the nation this past weekend at the USA Rugby U19 Girls Rugby Championships in Pittsburgh, PA.

Maryville, led by team captains, Katie Peterson and Candace Barley, made it to the top four by winning their quarterfinal match on Saturday, 22-5 over Mid-Atlantic territorial champions West Carroll.

That put Maryville up against five-time defending national champions Divine Savior Holy Angels from WI in the semis. Despite a spirited performance, Maryville went down 17-5.

For the finals on Sunday Maryville played the Sacramento Amazons for 3rd, and was steamrolled by the much larger opponent, losing 56-0. Still, 4th in the nation is the best any girl’s team from the South has achieved in either the USA Rugby championships or its predecessor, the unofficial National Invitational Tournament.

“Maryville has had a tremendous season in 2009 remaining undefeated until their match against the 5-time record champs DSHA.  We went into the championship with people thinking we were ‘just the South team’ and that we didn’t know anything about rugby.  I’m proud we came out 4th in the nation showing them that even though we grew up in an area of the country where rugby is still unknown, we proved that heart, character and love for the game overcomes the lack of a rugby tradition.  In winning 4th place we have brought South for the first time into the Championship bracket (1st – 4th).   I’m honored to be part of the first South TU team invited to the Invitational National Championships in 2005 and the first South team to bring South into the Championship bracket this year, “said team captain Candace Barley.

Funding for the trip was provided in part by the Maryville Area Rugby Boosters Association (MARBA). MARBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that supports and promotes the Maryville Rugby Football Club (MRFC) and its activities and is solely for the benefit of the sport of amateur rugby in the Maryville, Tennessee area.

For more information contact Head Coach Jay Hawkins, 388-4074, or Admin. Asst. Cindy Barley, 977-6580.  You may check out our webpage at www.mrfcrugby.com.