University of Virginia Library

Rugby Wars Commence
For Commonwealth Cup

By Ted McKean
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Tomorrow morning at 10:30,
that "game for hooligans, played
by gentlemen," Rugby, will take
the stage, not to depart until
Sunday afternoon in a stream of
near continuous action and parties.
Once again, it is time for the
annual Commonwealth Cup
Tourney.

Charlottesville will play host to
the best eight teams of the
Eastern and Midwestern United
States, Canada, and the Bahamian
Isles: those teams of Williams
College, Old Blue (from
New York City), Nassau All-Stars,
University of Wisconsin, Brown
University, Toronto Old Boys
(Toronto, Canada), the Baltimore
Rugby Club, and the University's
team.

The seeding of the tournament
has been intricately arranged so
that each team, whether beaten
early or not, will see plenty of
action. A consolation as well as
championship title will be decided,
the consolation game being played
at 10:30 Sunday morning, and
the championship at 1:30 Sunday
afternoon. In the interim, play on
Carr's Hill Field and Nameless
Field will be virtually non-stop,
the ultimate treat to all Rugby
fans, as well as the just plain
blood-thirsty.

The Old Blue Rugby Football
Club, winner of last year's Commonwealth
Cup, will be one of
the pre-tournament favorites. They
are a team of international experience,
one of the oldest clubs
in the country. Mike Shonstrom,
second row, and Mark Copper,
hooker, lead an extremely aggressive
scrum. Large, fast backs characterize
the Old Blue running attack;
look for the best ball handling
and passing to come from the
New Yorkers.

Williams College, fresh from a
spring tour of England, plays in
its first Commonwealth Cup. The
Williams Club has always been
strong in New England competition,
and features a fast scrum
led by hooker Bob Gault.

The Wisconsin Rugby Club
enters the Charlottesville contests
with a 14 game winning streak on
the line, and the reputation as one
of the finest Midwestern clubs
going. In Cup play last year, the
Badgers were 1-1-1. Foreign experience
in the backs as well as
the scrum should stand Wisconsin
as a contender.

The Toronto Old Boys present
the tourney with an unknown
quantity. With two ex-pro footballers
at the wings, and an assortment
of English, Irish, Scots, Hungarians,
and Canadians, rumors
of brute force as the club's main
weapon may well prove true.

The Baltimore Rugby Club on
the other hand is well known to the
Cavaliers. Like Old Blue, they,
too, will stand out as one of the
pre-tournament picks. Virginia
earlier defeated this club. But the
game of a month ago was not a true
indication, since Baltimore sent
their "B" team backfield to the
game.

The Nassau All-Stars are a combination
of the Nassau, Buccaneers,
and Freeport Rugby
Football Clubs.

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