Saturday, Oct. 28—WEST RUTLAND—After seven weeks of fall rugby, the teams of New England Rugby Football Union’s (NERFU) fourth division will convene in the swamps of West Rutland this Saturday, Oct. 28.
Rutland Roosters, the region’s local rugby club, won the bid due to being “near the top of the rotation as they have not held it since joining the division. As I have attended their Keith Page Tournament each spring, I am confident in their ability to put on a good day,” according to division director, Josh Bull.
Competition between teams including Bennington, Berkshire United (Pittsfield, Mass.), Black River (Ludlow, Vt.), Boston Ironsides, Cape Cod, Rutland, and Upper Valley (Lebanon, N.H.) is expected to be fierce with bragging rights — and in some cases, opportunities for revenge — on the line.
While the “elegant violence” of rugby will be on full display on the pitch, there will be plenty on offer off the pitch. Rutland Rugby Club will have the normal tournament concessions of food and merchandise on offer, and they will be continuing their fundraising efforts for one of their own, Steve Braunius, whose daughter Lenna was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy earlier this year.
The NERFU D4 Tournament is to be held at Gawet Memorial Field, 600 Marble St., West Rutland. As of press time, details for a start time were not yet finalized, though games generally begin about 8 a.m. Once the day of games is complete, the event moves to Center Street Alley for further festivities ahead of the annual Rutland Halloween Parade.
Photo courtesy of Flip Buttling
Tim Stephens (in black, white and red uniform) fends off a Black River defender.
