Tigers Rugby Football Club proudly hosted the 2011 Rugby Colorado Spring Fling Tournament on Saturday, March 12th. The tournament was an opportunity for 23 Rugby Colorado clubs to play 21 league and friendly matches at one venue. The hundreds of rugby enthusiasts were treated to the fine balance of sportsmanship and extreme physical performance.
The Broomfied and Arvada based rugby club thanks Tigers Rugby sponsors Gases and Arc Supply, Accelerate Physical Therapy, McDonald’s restaurants, and Coffman and Companies for their financial support, trucks, equipment and manpower available to transport, erect, tear down and return 4 sets of goal posts, pads and ropes to transform Northwest Open Spaces in Northglenn, Colorado for this event. Teams reperesented included Denver East, who lost to Tigers RFC’s next opponent, Aurora Saracens. The reigning state champions, Colorado Spring Grizzlies defeated SWARM (Chatfield, Columbine and Mullen HS) in a sanctioned league match.
Tigers RFC was joined by Chaparral , Denver East, Regis Jesuit, Colorado Springs, SWARM, Platte Canyon/Conifer, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Warriors RFC (Bear Creek), Legend, Boulder, Ranch Rugby, Rigeview Academy, Aspen/Carbondale, Northside Vikings RFC and Fort Collins for a day long rugby experience.
A long emotional moment of silence was observed for our fallen brother, Matthew Hammerdorfer, at 11:55 am. Matt died last week playing rugby for the Ft. Collins Youth Rugby Club. With five hundred players and coaches, parents and family bound in a 20 foot circle, 8 deep, fellow Ft. Collins captains eulogized Matt and spoke positively about how Matt would want us all to live life to it’s fullest.
Tigers faired well at the annual tournament they hosted, playing their fourth match with Denver East this season, and falling 35-17 in the morning, and tying Cherry Creek 17-17. Tries were scored by Jimmy Higdon, Peter Loving, Jeff Madigan, Warren Wood, and Patrick O’Connor. Warren Wood kicked a 3 point field goal, and two conversions, Alec Walter converted one of three attempts.
