Arizona Looks to DIA Challenge
Arizona Looks to DIA Challenge
Arizona runs on for the 2014 DIAA final. KLC Photos.
The University of Arizona men’s rugby team has some work to do in order to get an invitation to the DIA playoffs.
Since the Wildcats play in the PAC Rugby Conference, where four of the six teams involved are in the Varsity Cup, they don’t really have a DIA conference to play in. That’s OK, said USA Rugby - you can get an at-large invitation, as long as you play well.
So that’s what they’re doing. The 2013-14 DIAA runner-up Wildcats are playing a challenging season of Varsity Cup and DIA opponents through the winter and early spring. Conference opponents include Cal on Jan 31, Arizona State, UCLA, Utah, and Oregon State. But they’ve also added in Notre Dame (their annual Parseghian Cup rivals), Santa Clara, Colorado State, and Wyoming.
For Sean Duffy, who took over as coach after the shocking death of longtime Arizona Head Coach Dave Sitton in August of 2013, the season is exactly what he wants.
“It’s a tough schedule but it’s what we need,” said Duffy. “I look at how [New Zealand Head Coach] Steve Hansen used the November tour to do a dry run for the World Cup, and I want to use these games the same way. When we go to California we’re going to prepare, pack, and travel as if it’s a playoff. We’ll see what we’re made of.
What they are made of is a group of talented players, including a large recruiting class. Duffy was eager to bolster the roster, and has a freshman-heavy squad.
“We recruited some freshmen who have the ability to compete for time right away,” said Duffy. “I don’t care what year you are, if you’re solid on and off the field, you’ll play.”
Jack Arnold returns in his final year and is the captain of the team. Anthony Spencer, an honorable mention All American, returns on the wing. His brother, Steven is a freshman.
Jonah Eldridge is a former HSAA scrumhalf from Sacramento and a promising first-year. Tyler Sousley, who was on the Youth Olympics team, will be ready after nursing some injuries.
Mason Pederson out of Wilson HS in California and lock Vinny Yackanin, a sophomore and a local boy, are part of a tough young forward pack. Among the older players, Kyle Rogers will be effective at either of the halfback positions. Matt Tomasetti is a flanker who gets a lot of work done. One intriguing addition is Kirifi Taula, who was on the football team with Arizona alumnus and current Eagle Brett Thompson, and is ready to give rugby a shot. The former defensive lineman looks, at 6-6, to be a lock for the rugby team. He has dropped about 15 pounds and may need to drop more.
Arizona rugby is in a growth phase, it seems. They have been given an elevated club status, with the Athletic Department having an eye on how things operate. The It doesn’t hurt the program that they play on the William David Sitton Field, dedicated last March. Sitton’s legacy, then, has given the program a bump even after his death. The field isn’t exclusively a rugby field, but the rugby team does have a home, a huge influx of new talent, and a pathway to a DIA title - that’s good enough.
