MIT RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

On Saturday, October 5, 2019, MIT faced off against Amoskeag RFC at Briggs Field. MIT were coming off an embarrassing week where they forfeited to New London due to a lack of players and then were kicked off their practice field by the Lacrosse team due to a scheduling error. Meanwhile Amoskeag came in undefeated, having dropped down from Division II this fall. Amoskeag had already clinched home field advantage in the playoffs while MIT were still searching for a playoff spot.

On September 21, 2019, MIT hosted Providence RFC at Briggs Field for their 3rd match of the season. MIT were looking to avenge their NERFU Cup loss to Providence from last spring, where Providence went on to win the Cup. It was a hot day and MIT came out flat and disorganized. Two early mauls from Providence led to tries, as MIT turned each maul and somehow a Providence runner broke free for the score both times. Providence added another score after their inside center broke the gain line and their forwards supported.

On September 14, 2019, MIT traveled to Moakley Field in Boston, MA to take on Old Gold RFC. The 2 teams have had many close battles over the years and MIT knew that this week would be no different. The weather forecast called for clouds but no rain, so of course it began raining as soon as kickoff rolled around.

On Saturday, September 7, 2019, MIT began the fall season by hosting Charles River RFC at Briggs Field. MIT scrimmaged against Boston RFC and the Boston Maccabi’s in the lead up to their fall opener. MIT could have used a few more scrimmages, as their poor tackling effort frequently let them down on the day.

On May 11, 2019, MIT traveled to Fort Adams in Newport, RI for the annual NERFU Cup tournament. MIT again traveled light, losing players to injuries, semi-formals, graduations, and project deadlines. MIT’s first match of the day was bright and early on one of the picturesque fields overlooking Benton Cove. MIT came out strong, controlling possession and making line breaks against New London RFC. Scrum-half Nolan, MIT’s 4th scrum-half in the last 4 games, played with a quick and aggressive style to keep New London on their toes.

On May the 4th, 2019, MIT traveled to the Union Point Sports Complex in Weymouth, MA to take on Boston RFC. The two teams were familiar with each other, having practiced together in the preseason. The familiarity did not affect the physicality of the match. The 2 teams faced off a year earlier, and a poor defensive effort from MIT led to an easy Boston win.