GLOBE SOUTH 1 / SPORTS
The Marshfield-based South Shore Anchors Rugby Football Clubadvanced to the Sweet 16 bracket of the 2007 Rugby NationalChampionships this month in Columbia, S.C., where they split twomatches, just missing a chance to go on to the Final Four.
The Anchors advanced to the national tournament by winning theNortheast Rugby Union Division 2 title with victories over BurlingtonRFC of Vermont, 42-25, and Old Gold RFC of Boston, 17-10.
The team, which trains in spring and fall at the South RiverSchool in Marshfield, is coached by David Gonzales of Plymouth. Theteam captain is Stephen Flaherty of Weymouth, and its slate ofofficers includes president Matt Pomella of Marshfield and vicepresident Brad Dzierzak of Bridgewater, who also maintains the team'swebsite, ssrugby.com.
'Our team is made up of players from all walks of life,' saidBrian Black of Hanson, the team's press secretary.
Rugby is considered to be the ancestor of American football andthe inspiration for the University of Michigan fight song, 'TheVictors,' composed after a rugby match.
Rugby teams have 15 players, who play on a field slightly widerthan a football field. Five points are scored by touching the balldown over the opponents' end line, two points are awarded for asuccessful conversion rush, and a drop kick gets you three points.Specific forms of tackling are allowed.
According to Pomella, the South Shore club's run to the Sweet 16has solidified its standing in Division 2 of the New England RugbyFootball Union, created more awareness of the sport, and helped inthe recruitment of players to the team from the college level andfrom among athletes who play other sports.
'With the recent growth of rugby in New England, the level ofcompetition has increased markedly,' Pomella said, 'and we haveworked very hard to disprove the notion that rugby is a violent,dangerous sport associated with unruly behavior. Members of our clubinclude teachers, engineers, a cancer researcher, firefighters, andseveral financial analysts. Our members now coach four high schooland two college rugby teams, and we also pride ourselves on teachingthe game to newcomers.'
