Dear BYUtv ... It's Time

BYU Rugby needs BYUtv ... just like  BYUtv needs BYU Rugby!    

If you've been paying attention to recent BYU Rugby news and commentary, you'll know that a plethora of BYU fans the nation over have been clamoring for quality live coverage of BYU Rugby games to be provided by BYUtv. To spur on this effort, the BYU Rugby team just recently started a campaign wherein anyone can submit their contact information and comments to be sent directly to BYUtv for this purpose.

I urge everyone and anyone to join in the campaign. It's not just for the benefit of a few BYU Rugby Fans in Utah; rather, it improves the whole of the Rugby community, nationally and even internationally, in so many ways. By getting BYU Rugby back on BYUtv, the bar will be raised while BYUtv will be recognized as the primary pioneering support thereof. The time is now for BYUtv to fully embrace and support BYU's most successful sport, Rugby!

If you haven't yet submitted your thoughts, do so now on the BYU Rugby website!!!

Finally, to add a little more fuel, allow me to share my thoughts that I sent to BYUtv:

Dear BYUtv Management:

While it must be obvious by now that the BYU Men's Rugby team is one of the most successful BYU Sports teams, perhaps the resultant popularity and fan support thereof has not similarly been appreciated. This past Saturday, the annual rivalry match between BYU and Utah, the 'Wasatch Cup', brought 3,833 paid spectators in the first half alone. A conservative estimate of increased attendance in the second half would easily push this number above 4,500, if not to 5,000 ... certainly not a far cry from South Field's attendance record for Women's Soccer (listed as 4,742 for BYU vs. Colorado on 09/08/06).

Perhaps even more important than this swelling of local support for BYU Rugby is the increasing support of and attention to the sport of Rugby in the United States, not to mention the popularity of the sport that is already deeply entrenched around the World. Fans everywhere, foreign and domestic, unified by LDS Church membership, love to see 'their team' win in one of the most dynamic and demanding sports known to mankind. And again more importantly, fans everywhere, foreign and domestic, not members of the LDS Church but nonetheless unified by love of the sport, enjoy seeing solid competition and sportsmanship, especially given BYU's elite status in American Rugby.

This situation presents a two-fold opportunity for BYUtv. First, it's a chance to claim a pioneering position in the realm of college rugby media where there is presently little to no professional competition. By establishing BYUtv as the portal for the display of college rugby, fans throughout the US will quickly know where they can go to see college rugby presented in the best quality way. Call it a golden opportunity to 'get in on the ground floor' while Rugby is still young in the United States.

Second, compound this opportunity to be a pioneer for Rugby in America by considering the impact of humanitarian and missionary messages shared with viewers in conjunction with the sport. Throughout the past century, Rugby has proven to be a great ambassador for good throughout the world, even recently enjoying inclusion for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Just imagine the synergy created by joining this force for good with what we members of the LDS Church know to be the greatest force for good in existence, the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Suffice it to say that the effects, especially on an international level, have the potential to far outweigh that of any BYU sport, even Football. The Gospel is universal. Rugby is universal. Present them together, and two universal worlds are united and magnified for the better. 

According to the BYUtv.org main page, "BYU Broadcasting is an integrated media organization that inspires people to see, do, and be the good in the world by providing uplifting content, magnifying the university, engaging like-minded communities, and elevating ideals into action." If there exists a BYU sport most closely aligned with this mission, it is BYU Rugby. The setting at this very moment in time and place is ideal. Before it's too late, before BYU Rugby grows even bigger in popularity and recognition, BYUtv has the singular opportunity, even now, to be the universal ambassador for BYU's greatest sport.

With all my hope and might, I urge you to regularly incorporate BYU Rugby games and spots into your seasonal broadcast schedule. We, the BYU Rugby Fan community, aren't just anxious for your support; we're willing to offer our support as well to see it happen. If there is anything that we can do to advance and enable the process, please don't hesitate to advise us.

Best regards and BYU Rugby Forever!
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A New Holy War: BYU Rugby vs. St. Mary's

The  St. Mary's College Gaels meet BYU in the 2012 Holy War. 

It's happening this Saturday at high noon ... an inevitably epic clash of two saintly schools: our LDS-Church-owned Brigham Young University with it's #1-ranked team faces the Roman-Catholic-Church-affiliated Saint Mary's College of California with it's #2-ranked team. As both programs look to claim the national spotlight of college rugby, it's interesting to compare both schools and note that both share similarities that one may not immediately expect ... which makes the potential potency of this match that much greater than other rugby matches to date.

Read on, skeptics ... read on.

Founded in 1863 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, St. Mary's College "holds that the mystery which inspires wonder about the nature of existence is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ giving a transcendent meaning to creation and human existence. Nourished by its Christian faith, the College understands the intellectual and spiritual journeys of the human person to be inextricably connected. It promotes the dialogue of faith and reason: it builds community among its members through the celebration of the church's sacramental life; it defends the goodness, dignity and freedom of each person, and fosters sensitivity to social and ethical concerns."

Brigham Young University, founded in 1875, maintains that "any education is inadequate which does not emphasize that [Jesus Christ] is the only name given under heaven whereby mankind can be saved. Certainly all relationships within the BYU community should reflect devout love of God and a loving, genuine concern for the welfare of our neighbor. Because the gospel encourages the pursuit of all truth, students at BYU should receive a broad university education. The arts, letters, and sciences provide the core of such an education, which will help students think clearly, communicate effectively, understand important ideas in their own cultural tradition as well as that of others, and establish clear standards of intellectual integrity."

Perhaps more compelling in relative similarity than these excerpts from both schools' mission statements are the unofficial but nearly identical mottoes each espouses: "Enter to learn, go forth to serve" (BYU), and "Enter to Learn, leave to Serve" (St. Mary's).

Uncanny enough for you??? Go figure ... but hey, I didn't make this stuff up; it's real, folks.

Now, I never thought I'd stop talking up Cal as the biggest threat to the establishment of the BYU Rugby Kingdom ... but, given that the Bears are done and gone from the top spot, perhaps it is only appropriate that a similarly-founded religious school rise up to present the clearest challenge to BYU ... and fittingly, they're still from California!

Thus it is, my friends. The new Holy War is here. Saints versus Saints. Mormons versus Catholics. Blue & White against Blue & Red. The Best pitted against the Best to determine who is truly the Best of the Best. :) 

Think it sounds crazy and far-fetched? Think I'm just stirring the pot here and really straining for something substantive to share?? Think that each school's religious background has absolutely nothing to do with rugby???

Hey, that's fine ... just go and confront either one of these teams with that position, and let me know how it goes for you!!!

But if you're still dubious and demanding to see the stats, then here's some more surprise for you: they're nearly equal!

First off, BYU's roster lists 8 freshmen, 18 sophomores, 10 juniors, and 16 seniors for a total of 52 players.  St. Mary's roster lists 13 freshmen, 19 sophomores, 15 juniors, and 19 seniors for a total of 66 players.  And while the latter of these two rosters obviously counts with an additional depth of 14 players, nevertheless one could argue that what the former lacks in total numbers is made up for in experience.  The vast majority of the St. Mary's squad is from California with only two players claiming international origins while BYU's less numerous squad boasts at least ten to fifteen players of direct or indirect international origins. Not much different than the Cal-BYU lineups of old ... and (sadly) we all know who came out on top in those meetings!  Ahhh!!! ...  Still trying to forget Cal ... so, let's move on.

To date, St. Mary's has put up 506 points to opponents' 112 points in nine matches. BYU has put up 476 points to opponents' 97 points in eight matches. That's an average of 56.2 points scored per game with 12.4 allowed by St. Mary's, and 59.5 points per game and 12.1 allowed by BYU. For every point scored by an opponent, BYU scores 4.9 points while St. Mary's scores 4.5. Pretty dang close! 

Granted, BYU has overcome tough opponents in Rugby Super League men's teams, Old Puget Sound Beach and the Denver Barbarians ... But also take into account that St. Mary's hasn't had some cushy schedule this year either; rather, they have bested premier D-I men's team Olympic Club and the near-Cal-equal University of Utah. Their only loss has come to Cal's oldest rival, the University of British Columbia (whom Cal only beat by one point this year).

No question about it ... this is War, my beloved BYU Rugby fans ... and we might as well call it 'Holy', since I have no doubt that both sides are going to be praying their hearts out to see the final tally come out in their favor! Whichever side wins, they might be tempted to claim it as a manifestation of God's will ... but, of course, any true rugby fan knows that such cannot be the case, for He doesn't take sides when it comes to His favorite sport! ... We can still hope for some divine support though, right?  :D

That said, no official prediction here, but I'll share some quick thoughts. On the one hand, the numbers make it look uber-close with a 5- or even 3-point margin of victory a real possibility. If St. Mary's truly puts up a formidable defensive and offensive effort, and if it's a rainy day, then I wouldn't be surprised to see this one being ground out in the forwards, with an above-average amount of the pick-and-go from the breakdown and more frequent attempts to maul down the field. Who gets the advantage? I say, "BYU", you say, "St. Mary's ... ceteris paribus, and it's the same as "puh-tay-toe", "puh-tah-toe". Unfortunately, there's no recent history of (any?) previous match-ups between the two schools from which to even postulate the outcome. So ... maybe your guess is just as good as mine.

Then again, my gut tells me that BYU might just pull away and rack up a number of tries over St. Mary's for a more convincing W. If given solid opportunities to receive clean ball-in-hand, surely our stacked back-line will eventually make mincemeat of any opposing defenders! And if BYU's numbers I through XV are firing on all cylinders, then forget about it, folks ... heck, if that's the case, I'll start saying a few Hail Mary's to petition for the Gaels' cause as well! :D  Let's hope this latter scenario is the case ...

In conclusion, let me set aside any potential sacrilege or offense here expressed and sincerely state that I (and hopefully all my fellow BYU Rugby fanatics) have the utmost respect for St. Mary's College, especially as a fellow academic institution of faith based in Our Lord and Savior and as a fellow elite-level college rugby team striving for ultimate success. What more can I say? Good luck to the Gaels this Saturday.

Finally, to Our Boys, even our Ironclad Cougars, allow me to offer a selection of simple lines from the hymn:

"And now the foe advancing,
That valiant host assails,
And yet they never falter;
Their courage never fails.
Their Leader calls, “Be faithful!”
They pass the word along;
They see his signal flashing
And shout their joyful song:

"Victory, victory,
Thru him that redeemed us!
Victory, victory,
Thru Jesus Christ, our Lord!
Victory, victory, victory,
Thru Jesus Christ, our Lord!"

Push onward to victory, My Brothers, united in faith and courage!

Let the BYU Rugby standard never wilt in defeat but ever wave proud and victorious to usher in The Kingdom!!

BYU Rugby Forever!!!
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BYU vs. Cal Rugby: Learn from the Past ...

Watch on YouTube HD: BYU vs Cal Rugby 2009 National Championship Highlight

While much can be said of the BYU Men's Rugby team during this 2011 season—much good, and most recently, some not the greatest—nevertheless the week leading up to yet another Cal-BYU rematch for the National Title tends to leave one without sage words readily at hand ...

Permit me to borrow a few in the interest of time:

"Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present."

— Thomas S. Monson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Let these words sink in for a moment, then remember the glory of an unforgettable day gone by ... the kind of day we hope to relive in the very near future!

Cougars on three: one ... two ... three ... COU-GARS!!!

(Video courtesy of BYU Rugby Forever)
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BYU Rugby in Church News, BYU Magazine

I just recently came across this article in the LDS Church News highlighting the BYU Rugby team:

"Rugby mission a major success for BYU"

Yes, it's old news dated May 9, but it's neat to see that the BYU Rugby team gets some recognition for their accomplishments by the LDS Church.

And here's a more recent, feature article from the "BYU Today" section of the latest edition of BYU Magazine:

"BREAKING THROUGH" by Matthew A. Payne

A big 'thank you' to the LDS Church and Brigham Young University for recognizing the team's amazing achievements!

Enjoy!
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