There’s a lot of college rugby, so it’s not uncommon to see a score, make a judgement, and scroll onto the next post. But every game is a story with layers, and in Vassar College’s case last weekend, a friendly 15s match brought some big-time context to the women’s collegiate game today.
Vassar is the reigning CRAA DII fall champion, but what does that mean relative to the rest of the country? There are DII NCAA varsity programs in NIRA; DII teams competing toward CRAA’s spring championship; and DII teams in NCR. For Vassar head coach Tony Brown, who has coached close to 1,400 college games, understanding where the Brewers fit is important.
So Mr. Brown (“Mr.,” so as not confuse with Brown University) scheduled a developmental game against Brown University last weekend. Yes, the Bears are a DI NCAA varsity program, but Vassar was once DI (1997-2012) and used to be in the mix with Army, Penn State, Dartmouth, etc. And Quinnipiac University first started in the DII Tri-State conference before elevating, so again, there were some points for comparison. Mr. Brown wanted a line of sight in today’s DI varsity
frankly this was an opportunity to see what today’s NIRA teams looked like. Again, this wasn’t totally foreign territory, as the Brewers played
There was a mismatch in expectations, however, as the teams had different definitions for a developmental match. Mr. Brown explained that the Bears had 12 B side players, so a mostly A side started the match and then the bench worked in. Vassar traveled with mostly B side players, and so the 71-0 result should not shock.
Match Reports: Vassar College & Brown University
“Rosalind [Chou] was true to her word and was using this as a developmental game and I have no issue with the Brown program, coaches or players,” Mr. Brown asserted. “I believe that had we brought our full A-side the result would still have been an emphatic win for Brown.”
Mr. Brown refreshed his definition for “DI varsity rugby.”
“I have coached college rugby here in the USA beginning in 1986, first with the George Mason University Men and since 1995 at Vassar College with both the men and women,” Mr. Brown layered in more context. “I have witnessed the growth of the collegiate game, and [last] weekend was an eye opener for me. It was fantastic to see the Brown University Women play with such confidence and purpose. They won the collisions carrying the ball and tackling the ball carrier. They were sharp at the breakdown and moved the ball quite well. They had athletes and threats all over the field.”
RELATED: Brown vs. Vassar Photos
Mr. Brown apologized both to Chou and his own team for putting them in that position, and indicated his players are rebounding alright.
“Every athlete was just bigger, faster, stronger than any of the Vassar players,” Mr. Brown marveled. “It’s clear to me now that those top varsity programs are legit. They are recruiting the best athletes.”
As for Vassar, they’re playing in the Tri-State 7s championship this weekend, but view the shorter format as something fun to do. The year will end with a favorite – the Beast of the East in Providence – that enriches a year that has also included a tour to Spain. The team and players will go on, enjoying their rugby, and knowing a bit more about rugby evolving around them.