by Ted Hardy
Aside from a couple games, it was a lopsided array of games on Day 1 of the Collegiate Rugby Championship, hosted at PPL Park in Philadelphia. While the tournament continues to garner increased exposure, the gap on the field hasn't closed much. It has been a difficult balance for tournament organizers who are trying to put a great product on the pitch, but at the same time are trying to cater to regional sides and branding.
The average score line on Friday at the CRC was 31-5. Winning teams outscored their opponents 316-46 and were it not for Wisconsin's 17 point losing effort it would have been much worse. The Badgers were the only losing team on Day 1 to score more than one try and three other teams were kept off the scoreboard entirely.
Not to fear, the CRC Championship rounds have produced some excellent 7s every year of it's existence and the front runners in the tournament should produce a mighty battle for the title. Results on Day 1 provide a good look at who is likely to reach the championship round.
Here's a quick look at the Day 1 action in Philadelphia.
Pool A saw the highest margin of victory as well as the closest game of the day. Navy unloaded 57-0 on late-addition Villanova, who replaced Army who had their program suspended just a couple weeks ago. UCLA survived a scare from St. Joseph's and snuck through with a 10-5 victory.
In Pool B, past CRC Champion Dartmouth got their tournament off to a good start with a 34-0 shutout of Ivy League rival Penn. Arizona opened up with a 31-17 win over Wisconsin.
Pool C boasts two early favorites in the tournament and both showed well on Day 1. Cal put up the second-highest total on Day 1 with their 45-7 victory over Virginia Tech. Kutztown cruised to a 33-5 win over Temple.
Pool D was the closest of all the pools on Day 1. Penn State snuck past Northeastern by a score of 12-5 and Notre Dame scored a solid 27-5 win over North Carolina State.
Pool E had a couple more lopsided matchups as Life rolled through Texas 33-5 and Delaware blanked Florida 34-0.
The CRC finishes up pool play today, in front of what will hopefully be a strong crowd. Games are set to be broadcast on NBC, so check your local listings. The tournament wraps up tomorrow with the championship and consolation rounds.
Aside from a couple games, it was a lopsided array of games on Day 1 of the Collegiate Rugby Championship, hosted at PPL Park in Philadelphia. While the tournament continues to garner increased exposure, the gap on the field hasn't closed much. It has been a difficult balance for tournament organizers who are trying to put a great product on the pitch, but at the same time are trying to cater to regional sides and branding.
The average score line on Friday at the CRC was 31-5. Winning teams outscored their opponents 316-46 and were it not for Wisconsin's 17 point losing effort it would have been much worse. The Badgers were the only losing team on Day 1 to score more than one try and three other teams were kept off the scoreboard entirely.
Not to fear, the CRC Championship rounds have produced some excellent 7s every year of it's existence and the front runners in the tournament should produce a mighty battle for the title. Results on Day 1 provide a good look at who is likely to reach the championship round.
Here's a quick look at the Day 1 action in Philadelphia.
Pool A saw the highest margin of victory as well as the closest game of the day. Navy unloaded 57-0 on late-addition Villanova, who replaced Army who had their program suspended just a couple weeks ago. UCLA survived a scare from St. Joseph's and snuck through with a 10-5 victory.
In Pool B, past CRC Champion Dartmouth got their tournament off to a good start with a 34-0 shutout of Ivy League rival Penn. Arizona opened up with a 31-17 win over Wisconsin.
Pool C boasts two early favorites in the tournament and both showed well on Day 1. Cal put up the second-highest total on Day 1 with their 45-7 victory over Virginia Tech. Kutztown cruised to a 33-5 win over Temple.
Pool D was the closest of all the pools on Day 1. Penn State snuck past Northeastern by a score of 12-5 and Notre Dame scored a solid 27-5 win over North Carolina State.
Pool E had a couple more lopsided matchups as Life rolled through Texas 33-5 and Delaware blanked Florida 34-0.
The CRC finishes up pool play today, in front of what will hopefully be a strong crowd. Games are set to be broadcast on NBC, so check your local listings. The tournament wraps up tomorrow with the championship and consolation rounds.