Tigers Rugby Football Club came up short, 17-0, in a windy battle with the Aurora Saracens, a final four team in Colorado Youth Rugby. Aurora exacted revenge from the Tigers for a loss to top ranked Colorado Springs. Rugby was reportedly sanctioned by CHSAA, starting in 2010 for the high school girls in Colorado. Tigers Rugby Football Club took on the best in the boys division this week. The North Division Tigers are 3-1 in league play after the first interdivisional game of the year for the Tigers, while the East Division Saracens are 3-2 . On Saturday, the Tigers travel to Colorado Springs to take on Pine Creek High School students in another league match.

The heart of Tigers Rugby was shaken, but the brotherhood gathered their collective faiths to offered comfort to a friend and player, who was informed just before the game that his uncle had passed away. Tigers Rugby put up the fight of their lives. Hamstrung in the first half by a stiff wind in the face, their clearing kicks were grounded, and they defended their goal for most of this first half.

After a lightning delay in the first half, the referee was injured in the second, and Tigers Coach Nick Samaras was called into action. The fair and impartial judgment of one the best attack coaches in the state wasn't enough to slow the momentum of the Saracens, a diverse group including players of Tongan descent, a Pacific island well known for its rich history in the game of rugby.

The Saracens name can be traced back to the famous desert warriors led by Saladin in the late 12th century. They were renowned for their extreme mobility, and powers of endurance, which when allied to their bountiful enthusiasm, rendered the Saracens invincible. (Reference: http://www.aurorayouthrugby.com/about.htm)

Timely plays by Albert Whitemore (Tiger's Man of the Match), Andy Maul, Quincy Anderson, Travis McKee (Captain) and Duncan Yost offered the Tigers hope. Penalties tapped and run, rather than kicked away, gave the Tigers a respite from the battle. The last time these teams met, the Tigers pulled off an 11-10 victory on a Sam Glynn drop kick. This time, the power, speed and size just measured up a few inches and pounds short per opposite player. Objectively, the score of 17 points to nil about said it all. The Tigers fell for the first time in league play (3-1) and are now 11-9-2 as a club. The Tigers Rugby A-side record currently stands at 6-3 with four games remaining. The Tigers U-16 side is 3-1-2. For information about Tigers Rugby, or other opportunities to play or watch youth rugby in Colorado, please visit our website at http://tigersrugby.com.