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Pittsburg State’s Gorillaheads defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys, March 6 at Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma State is a Division I team, while the Gorillaheads are a Division II team. The Rugby Club came out victorious with a final score of Pittsburg 47-27.
The Rugby Club performed with great teamwork and smart ball movement.
“We did really well,” said Grant Schultz, head coach. “We had a three-and-a-half-hour travel (to Stillwater Oklahoma), and we played a division one team. It’s actually pretty good, we played really well and beat them by 20 points the score was 47-27.”
The Gorillaheads have been training to try and create a strong team that will earn victories
“Sophomore Ryan scored his first try and had a really good game,” Shultz said. “He’s picking up the game really fast and this is his first semester. Josh Watson played really well, he was lined up against a guy who is an All-American Rugby player and is about 280 pounds and he’s about the size of his leg, but he tackled him all day and held him enough and it was pretty cool.”
Though Shultz believes the Gorillaheads have improved, Schultz always looks for ways to further better his team and fine tune plays.
“We play a really good team rugby, we keep the ball tight,” Schultz said. “We’re big, we’re fast, but I will say there is disorganizations when we get tired and sometimes, we aren’t on our heels when we get tired and we get lazy and that cost us points quite a bit sometimes.”
The Pitt State Gorillaheads are aiming to go to Nationals if possible and place high there as well.
“We have our conference seven’s tournament, and whoever wins it goes to nationals,” Schultz said. “…then the developmental side goes and plays Benedictine…. Our hopes would be just do what we can, to win the tournament and get the nationals bid and go play in Tucson in May.”
Schultz believes that teamwork plays a large role in the success of a team.
“Teams that play as a team are very very hard to beat,” as Schultz said. “… anyone can join rugby, just got to come out with a mouthpiece and a water, cleats and we’ll teach you how to play. If you have the heart to play, you’ll make it.”
This coming weekend the Rugby Club will be facing off in St. Louis, Missouri for their Gateway Conference 7’s Tournament. The winners of the tournament will advance to Nationals in Tucson Arizona near the end of May.