Monmouth Rugby Captures 2009 Four Leaf’s Fifteens Rugby Championship

Monday, 30 March 2009 08:31

Newsbrief - Monmouth County

NEW YORK, NY- Holy Scrum!  The Monmouth Men's Rugby team went 4-0 on Saturday en route to capturing the 2009 Four Leaf's Fifteens Rugby Championship at Randall's Island.  Hosted by the Village Lions, the Four Leafs Tournament featured 48 teams from all over the northeast.  In pool play, Monmouth avenged an embarrassing 38-0 Fall season loss to Pennsylvania's Reading RFC, defeating Reading 13-5 on the strength of Garrett Mizolak's 50 meter try (touchdown), and two Joe Lucarelli penalty kicks.  In the semifinals, Monmouth solidified its spot in the championship, easily defeating local rival Bayonne, 28-12.  The finals pitted an upstart Monmouth team against Long Island Division 1 powerhouse Long Island.  In the first half, Monmouth struck early, as Jay Smith snuck a try in from 20 meters.  Long Island's formidable running attack bent, but could not break the Monmouth defense, and at half, Monmouth led 7-0.  The second half was all Monmouth, whose massive pack dominated scrums and laid bone-rattling hits, punching in an additional score when Monmouth lock John Russoniello was driven into the try zone after a multi-phase goal line attack.  An exhausted Long Island team could not recover, and clearly dominated by a fitter Monmouth squad, spent the last 10 minutes of the game in its own territory, wildly throwing the ball around the pitch (field).  When the dust settled, it was Monmouth left standing, a 12-0 shut out winner.  "The team showed its desire to win in the final while playing its best rugby against the best opposition we faced all day," said Monmouth coach Pat Moroney.  

The Monmouth Rugby Club is a member of the Metropolitan New York Rugby Union, competing against teams throughout the tri-state area.  Both men's and women's teams practice at the Middletown Village School, and play their home games at Thompson Park in Lincroft.  The club is principally sponsored by MF Global, and also sponsors social events at its newly-renovated clubhouse in Red Bank.  For more information, please go to www.monmouthrugby.com.

< Prev		Next >