Other BYU Sports Blogs (BYU Rugby Forever)
BYU Rugby Forever -
Wednesday, June 2nd 2010 at 7:40pm
(Paul Meyers Photo)
BYU Rugby Forever -
Friday, April 16th 2010 at 3:05pm
Enjoy some live video coverage of the 2010 USA College Rugby National Championship Playoffs provided by USA Rugby!!!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Thursday, April 15th 2010 at 9:00pm
The Playoffs are here, my friends, and Our BYU Cougars are set to spring big in a first-round bout against the University of Delaware TOMORROW!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Tuesday, April 6th 2010 at 11:20am
The BYU Rugby Forever 'Interview of the Week' series continues with BYU Rugby Lock TJ Allred. With several changes occurring in the 2010 starting lineup due to injury, graduating seniors, and LDS missions, the return of the former U-19 Canadian National Team player has proven critical to the Cougars' success thus far. One of the fittest players on the team, Allred often arrives first at the breakdown while also exploiting opportunities to insert in the back-line.
In the BYU Rugby team's most recent win against highly-ranked San Diego State, Allred was also seen taking a leadership role in line-out situations, an area of struggle for the BYU forwards this season. As a result, BYU produced more creative and deceptive line-outs than in any previous test, and not surprisingly, more control of the set piece.
BYU Rugby Forever: What is it like coming back to the BYU Rugby team after serving a 2-year mission for the LDS Church? Where did you serve? How has that experience impacted your capacity to contribute to the BYU Rugby team?
TJ Allred: Being back on the team from my mission in Montreal, Quebec, wasn't too hard of a transition. I needed to get back into shape quickly and had a solid couple of months on my own before pre-season, so I ran like crazy. My mission helped me realize the importance of team work and brotherhood between players in order to help perform. I'm very grateful for that. It's been really fun playing with Ryan Roundy who returned from his mission at the same time. He played for USA while I was playing with Canada before attending BYU. I had heard his name tossed around, and now we're on the same team.
BYU Rugby Forever: As a starter at the unique position of lock, what kind of challenges and responsibilities do you face in your efforts to contribute to the team? Any specific areas in which you perceive a need for improvement, personally or as a team?
TJ Allred: I love the lock position. But I'd play winger if they let me. As long as I'm on the field I'm fine. Its always a challenge to give 100% at all times. Every game I play I analyze only what I did wrong. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. There is definitely a bit of rust in the line-outs this year. But our team is really getting the right attitude to fix it, and we've already improved immensely as shown in our game against Colorado.
Our coaches say that there is no other team in the nation with as much natural talent as ours. I believe it too. It's just a matter of working together to unleash that talent. We need to stay calm and just have more fun. We play better that way and it shows. It's up to us as a team collectively to not get down on each other and stay positive where it is needed.
BYU Rugby Forever: The 2010 season has many people talking about the BYU Rugby team's strength in the forwards. Do you feel that this talk is justified? Thoughts? Are you ready to meet the challenge of another National Championship playoff run?
TJ Allred: We definitely have an advantage in our scrumming. We have fitness and power in our front row, and our back 5 are fit enough to get around the field. I love playing with our forward pack. When we are united and positive with each other, I believe that we play well enough to justify the so called "talk" going around. Pressure is on this year though; we need to really commit ourselves on and, more specifically at this point, off the field if we want to keep our title.
BYU Rugby Forever: Coming from the Canadian rugby system, what adjustments have you made to integrate yourself into the American system and especially the BYU Rugby team? Any aspirations of pursuing higher-level rugby in the future?
TJ Allred: I definitely enjoyed the time I had on team Canada. But I was still in the process of developing as a rugby player. Coming to BYU has helped me become that, I believe. The coaches give their all into the program and it shows. More or less the only real adjustments I've had to make are the jokes made against Canada and coaches calling me "Canucky." My freshman year was a bit difficult. I came in half way through the season and didn't know anyone, and it was hard to develop chemistry with some of the players and the coaches at first. But coming off my mission has been much better. I guess everyone goes through that weird 'new kid' phase though.
I'd absolutely love to play at a higher level. If you have never thought or dreamed about it at least once, you probably shouldn't be playing rugby. If the cards are ever to fall right, I'd consider for sure.
BYU Rugby Forever: Thanks TJ; good luck and go Cougars!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Tuesday, March 23rd 2010 at 11:20am
In all of Collegiate Rugby in the US, a relative few opportunities exist to compete at a truly-elite-level venue. Many praise and tout the facilities at Stanford, Cal, BYU, or Army, to name a few, as being the best collegiate pitches in the nation. And while such may be the case, nevertheless anything greater than these does not often lend itself to host a collegiate competition, much less in the sport of rugby. However, once in a long while, once in a few rotations around the sun, the golden opportunity presents itself... the chance to play in one of the most pristine sports arenas in the country!
From the Rio Tinto Stadium website: "This world-class venue seats 20,000 people for Major League Soccer and other sports events. Capacity increases to 25,000 for concerts. Stadium amenities include 32 luxury suites, a 2,000-square foot Stadium Club, 1,000 premium club seats, five locker rooms, a 60-foot Video Board, and ribbon LED boards stretching 200 feet long on both the east and west fascia."
"The carpet-like natural grass field boasts a surface area of 130 yards in length by 90 yards in width and has been developed to sustain a full slate of diverse sports and entertainment activities . The GTF Kentucky Bluegrass surface and root system is engineered by Graff's Turf Farm in Ft. Morgan, Colorado, the supplier of such hallowed fields as Wrigley Field, Lambeau Field, Busch Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium. Laser-graded to 1/100th of an inch across 105,000 square feet, the field was chemically and organically developed specifically for Utah's high-desert climate to ensure optimal growth and durability throughout the entire year."
All I can say, my friends, is "WOW!!!" To all BYU Rugby fans... if ever there were a time to come to a rugby game, to make the trip to watch Our Boys, and to cheer them to victory, that time is NOW! We may not soon again enjoy such an opportunity to see Our Boys play at such an amazing venue... I invite you to join with the BYU Rugby Superfans and me to yell our hearts out in support of Our team in their pursuit of success!
And to all BYU Rugby players... if ever there were a time to give it your best, to rise to the occasion, and to produce your best rugby, that time is NOW! You may not ever again enjoy such an opportunity to play at such an amazing venue in the rest of your lifetime... I encourage you to give ALL of yourself for your team, for your school, and for your loyal supporters in the pursuit of another win over Utah!
Remember: it won't get any easier in the coming weeks... so all the more reason to work harder than ever NOW! Just look to this game: could you have ever dreamed that you would be able to represent BYU at such a time and in such a place??? It's unbelievable...
Nevertheless, the time for dreaming has past; you must now believe and face reality. The regular season is over within a mere week's time, and then it's off to the great struggle of the National Championship Tournament. This match means a second chance, a primer for greater opposition to come. And, to avoid any 'beating around the bush', it represents the time to be your best... because frankly, your best has yet to be seen!
We BYU Rugby fans have great expectations... we know you aren't the same team as last year's, but that's not actually relevant. Why? Because you are a new BYU Men's Rugby team: you have new faces, new strengths, a new Haka. Because we have consistently seen enough of your successes in the past to move beyond believing in your capabilities... that is, we know your potential is great... show it to us now!!! Stand together as a true team in literal support of one another! Rise up in collective might to withstand and conquer the opposition!! After all, if anyone knows how tough the Utes of Utah are this year, it's you!!!
My friends, in the face of opposition lies opportunity... and this match epitomizes a great opportunity for you, for me, and for the BYU Rugby community as a whole... no question about it. Be there to spur Our Boys on to yet another Cougar victory! BYU Rugby Forever!!!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Thursday, March 18th 2010 at 7:20pm
Well folks, the BYU Men's Rugby team has just come off a busy weekend with wins against UVU and Colorado's first and second XV. And while the consistency of their execution seemed to vary as much as the Utah weather, nevertheless the Cougars produced some of their best overall rugby yet this season.
BYU Rugby Forever -
Friday, March 12th 2010 at 2:50pm
Scrummin' Utes drop close contest to BYU (DailyUtahChronicle.com)
Wasatch Cup 2010: BYU Kicks Its Way to Win (BYURugby.com)
Davies Boots BYU Past Utah (RugbyMag.com)
Homecoming Recap (BYURugby.com)
College: Western Scores (AmericanRugbyNews.com)
CougarCast: Dylan Lubbe (BYURugby.com)
CougarCast: Justen Nadauld (BYURugby.com)
Now, just a few thoughts looking back at last weekend's match-up.
What a game, folks! The more I reflect on it in terms of the bigger picture, I think it was so much more amazing than I originally realized. Think of it: top-ranked BYU and Utah play each other before a packed house, on a pristine field, on a national television network... Not more than a few years ago, any coach or player wouldn't have believed it possible to have such an opportunity for a regular season game! And people have taken notice... even Coach Jack Clark of Cal Berkeley (in his final comments on ARN's "CollegeTalk", Episode 21) mentioned how impressive everything was about the game and its venue as he watched on BYU-TV (maybe even cheered for BYU a little too... maybe??). :D
And think of this fact: the final score of 15-10 is one of the lowest scores I've ever seen between BYU and Utah... True, it was a sloppy game for both teams, but it was obviously a very competitive and balanced match-up. The score can't hide that fact. Let's just say that Utah is nearly back in elite form, and BYU needs to step it up lest they be overtaken. With all of these thoughts, I must make another pitch for the upcoming "Utah Rugby College Showdown" in which BYU again faces Utah, March 24th, in Rio Tinto Stadium! Talk about potential for an unbelievable match!! And what a game it will be in one of the largest sporting venues in Utah before hoards of fans!!!
Before that day comes, however, both teams have a load of work to do. Both sides' execution, or lack thereof, was characterized by errors leading to penalties and turnovers: Utah's issues with poor ball handling and not releasing the ball in the ruck; BYU's issues with offsides at the breakdown and shoddy, embarrassing line-outs. I would spend a whole page just venting on these points of failure, but suffice it to say that they are unacceptable if BYU wishes to be competitive in the National Tournament, let alone dominant. These aren't the kind of struggles that BYU coaches want to see at this point in the season, especially with a subsequent match against Utah on the docket as well as a meeting with San Diego State and tough playoff tests immediately thereafter. Sorry fellas, but you can't afford to make those mistakes... you can only afford improvement.
On a brighter note, the BYU defensive effort was relatively encouraging. The return of inside center Tupu Folau added some juice to the mix by smothering the threat of Thretton Palamo. Additionally, the fire possessed and second efforts displayed by the deep three of Andrew Harrison, Ryan Blaser, and Lelann Latu were impressive; it's always fun to see freshman players (the latter two) step up to the plate and meet the opposition. And don't forget the BYU scrum, holding up well despite the loss of big prop Mike Price and lock Isikeli Volavola to injury. Good work fellas; you really dodged a bullet, but let's use it to wax smarter and stronger! We want to keep seeing that new BYU Rugby Haka as often as possible!!!
Finally, I want to express my gratitude for the boot of Shaun Davies... worth all the praise we BYU Rugby fans can offer! (Enjoy the Paul Meyers photo, his best in my opinion, from last year's semifinal match against San Diego State) Thanks to Our Boys for the Wasatch Cup win, and we look forward to some more great games in the coming weeks! Go Cougars!!!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Friday, March 5th 2010 at 9:22pm
The time has come... the tale of two universities continues... the epic rivalry between rugby powerhouses BYU and Utah culminates yet again in the month of May with not one but two match meetings!!!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Monday, March 1st 2010 at 7:50pm
Okay, BYU Rugby fans, we've got a plethora of photos on tap of BYU's recent matches, compliments of BYU Rugby Photographer Paul Meyers!
BYU Rugby Forever -
Thursday, February 25th 2010 at 9:55pm
Folks, my apologies for dropping off the radar there for a spell... luckily, BYU Rugby rolls on whether or not the Superfans are in attendance at every match! (Although it could be debated that our mere presence accounts for a few extra BYU tries!) :D
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