The North league of the DI Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference (PMRC) plays a split-season season, and all five members played at least three games in fall 2019. Western Washington University (WWU) has emerged as the standings leader and banked an impressive win against traditional power Washington State before the winter break.
RELATED: PMRC North Schedule & Standings
In 2017 the Bellingham-based program left the DII Cascade conference, which is essentially a developmental competition these days (read more), and joined the DI league. The Vikings ended the previous two seasons in the middle of the standings.
“This year, our team decided to really focus on intensity – whether it’s defensive line speed, dominant carries, alertness at the breakdown, or simply in running offensive lines,” WWU co-president Brooke Hosmer explained. “Due to all the snow and school cancelations in the winter of last year, we felt we lost that intensity and drive and became complacent.”
The team roster sits at 30-35 players this year, and Hosmer credited forwards captain Ezra Wagoner and backs captain Joanna O’Neill for promoting “a driven, focused, and positive atmosphere for the team.” Newcomers like WSU transfer Natayah Bauer, who adds a dynamic wrinkle to the game.
“[Natayah] has been absolutely dominating,” Hosmer lauded the prop. “She’s gives 110% in everything that she does during a game and everyone on the field can feel the electric energy she creates.”
The season kicked off on Nov. 2 against the University of Oregon. After taking a 12-0 lead through Bauer and inside center JoAnna O’Neill tries (wing Amanda Kelley kicked the conversion), the Ducks surged for a 15-12 lead change at the end of the half. The Vikings regrouped in the third quarter, putting scrumhalf Sydney Copeland, Bauer and O’Neill away for tries, and Kelley’s two conversions gave WWU the cushion it needed as Oregon put in two late tries: 31-27 the win.
Two weeks later, the Vikings beat Washington 48-5, and saw Copeland and Bauer dot down three tries apiece. Trinity Wilson kicked the majority of the conversions, and Amanda Kelley added a penalty kick. The true test arrived on Nov. 23 against Washington State, the league’s long-time leader, but the Cougars had lost 32-22 to Oregon the weekend prior, indicating some rebuilding in Pullman.
“Going into this game, we were determined to try our best and focus on what we knew [and] stick to the game plan,” Hosmer indicated. “We knew that if we kept up the intensity throughout and brought the heat at the beginning of the game, we could get inside WSU’s head and shake their confidence, and we did just that.”
In addition to focusing on intensity this year, the Vikings also wanted to develop its kicking game, “which is something our league isn’t as well-versed in,” Hosmer explained.
“Our kicking game caught WSU off guard, and we were able to force turnovers and gain a lot of territory because of that,” the flyhalf continued. “Props to our scrumhalf, Sydney Copeland, for having amazing kicks all quarter. I also think our defensive line speed was a big difference-maker. Our intensity on defense made it so that WSU couldn’t get the ball out wide and forced them to lose territory.”
Western Washington took a 31-0 first-half lead and then added another three scores in the second half before Washington State ended the game with a penalty kick. O’Neill dotted down three times, while Bauer, Copeland, Wilson, flanker Sage Pavey and hooker Mia Wagoner added a try apiece. Outside center Nina Scruton kicked four conversions in the 48-3 win.
“Since we have entered into the D1 league in 2017 we have never beaten WSU, so this win was absolutely exhilarating,” Hosmer enthused. “Our success this fall has definitely made us hungry for greatness. We want to keep up the intensity and keep improving.”
Teams play home-and-away so everyone still has five games to play – save Oregon, which has four games remaining – before playoffs, and anything can happen before then.
“If we bring the same energy that we had in the fall, I think we could possibly make the post-season,” Hosmer looked toward the spring. “Since being a member of the D1 division, we haven’t made it to playoffs, and that’s always something that we’ve wanted to prove. Just because we are smaller than the other schools in our league does not mean that we are not capable of achieving greatness. However, I think our most important goal is to continue to play the best rugby that we can while maintaining the positive and supportive environment that we have created.”
The PMRC runs two pools – North and West – and their top teams will play crossover matches to decide who represents the conference at the DI spring regional playoffs.
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