A-State Drops Heartbreaker In Rugby Semifinal
MARIETTA, Ga. — Despite a well-fought game by the third-ranked Red Wolf rugby squad, Arkansas State University’s pursuit for a national championship came to an end with a 34-27 semifinal loss to Life University Saturday afternoon.
The two teams from the tough MidSouth Conference in Division 1A rugby took the game down to the wire in the semifinal battle with Life who had already claimed the two regular season victories over A-State.
The national championship game is set for Saturday, May 10, on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., featuring Life and St. Mary’s who defeated Lindenwood, 72-7, in the other semifinal game Saturday.
Life got on the scoreboard first to lead 3-0, but the Red Wolves wouldn’t stay down and the scoring seesawed up until the very end. At the half, the Running Eagles took in a narrow 15-14 lead. Life, the second-ranked team nationally, came out early in the second half and added another try to increase its lead, 22-14.
With two minutes remaining in the match, Life scored on a try but missed the kick. A-State came roaring back with a successful try to make the score, 34-27, and the game ended that way.
The game was typical of the two competitive teams who have together won four 15s and 7s national titles. The rivalry between the programs is highly regarded as one of the toughest rivalries in college rugby.
