The Cavalier daily :: Thursday, April 29, 1971 :: University of Virginia Library

Converging on Charlottesville
this weekend will be 150 ruggers
from throughout the eastern
seaboard and the Midwest. Their
goal will all be the same: win the
Commonwealth Cup, the most
prized tournament in the East.

As in the past eight teams will
make up the field. Virginia, as
usual, is hosting the continuous
Saturday and Sunday action on
Nameless and Carrs Hill Fields.
Other entries include the Cleveland
Blues, the Manhattan Club, the
University of Chicago, Brown,
Army, the Toronto Welsh, and
Notre Dame.

Small Scrum

Host Virginia is coming off of a
third place finish in last weekend's
Richmond Invitational. The serum,
anchored by Ralph Robertson, who
will be in his last action for the
Cavaliers, and club president Jay
Waldron, unfortunately maintains
small height and weight. Relying on
overall speed, Virginia fields among
the fastest backlines in the East.
Center Courtney Hoopes is the
pivotal point of the backs.

Traveling in from Cleveland are
the Blues, a private club. Most of
the players formerly were with
college sides. The fly half and one
of the wings were All-American in
college football.

Manhattan Too

Manhattan is another city club.
Two-thirds of the team are
foreigners, particularly Britishers.
Many of the members are doctors
and lawyers with many other
professions also represented. One of
their wings once was an
international side player in Wales.
Their style is open, utilizing the
fleetness of the backline.

University of Chicago is paced
by Welsh international fly half Rod
Thomas. Many foreigners, who
attend the school's graduate
departments, are present: also,
several American cab and truck
drivers. Ross Watts has been rated
the top wing forward in the Mideast
for the past ten years till
weekend they had not yielded a
score in their spring schedule.

Returning to defend its Cup
championship is Brown. Having a
dismal fourth place showing in the
Ivy League this year, the Rhode
Islanders hope to improve at the
journey. Winger Dave
(now 39) was the most valuable
rugger at last year's journey.

Having played no matches in the
fall, Army's current ledger is
unknown, but they won 15 in a
row last spring including the
Schaeffer Cup championship. As of
their last ranking, the Cadets were
eighth nationally.

Recommended by last year's
popular entrant the Old Boys, the
Toronto Welsh make the field an
international affair. Originally
formed to include the Welsh
Nationals in the Toronto area the
club now has broadened. They
current champs of the Canadian
City-State League.

Runnerup in last year's Cup
Notre Dame returns. Many
footballers take the pitch for the
Midwest powerhouse. Scrum is
rumored large.

First-round pairings find
Virginia pitted against
Cleveland. In the other half of
Bracket I. Brown faces Notre
Dame. Bracket II finds
University of Chicago going up
against the Manhattan Club,
while the Toronto Welsh takes
the pitch with Army.

Matches run from 10:30
until 5:00, Saturday. Sunday's
action begins at 11:30 and runs
to 4:00. Finals are at Nameless
Field, 1:30, Sunday.

Come on out for the tenth
annual Commonwealth Cup
Saturday and Sunday. Rain, snow,
hail - the ruggers will be there.