Fast, furious, fun and ferocious...
Plus a pig roast at Saturday’s rugby
tourney
They’ll be playing for a prize called the
"Exalted Spud," this weekend during the first annual Northern Rockies Sevens
rugby tournament Saturday, June 5 in Bellevue.
Actually, each of the eight teams in the
one-day men’s club tournament will receive a bronzed Idaho potato complete with
laces, like a rugby ball, from Sun Valley Bronze. But only the winner will earn
the "Exalted Spud."
Patrick Donohue of the Bald Mountain Rugby
Club said, "Action will be fast, furious, fun and ferocious. And we’ll have a
pig roast, too."
Games start at 12 noon Saturday on two
fields at O’Donnell Park up Slaughterhouse Canyon in Bellevue. They’ll continue
through about 5:30 p.m. Expected are the Park City (Utah) Muckers, Jackson Hole
Moose, Idaho State University Bengals from Pocatello, Mountain Home Air Force
Ruggers, Snake River Snakes, Boise Lions, Sefo Seven and Bald Mountain.
"It will be exciting non-stop action,"
said Donohue. "Each team has seven guys instead of the normal 15, and they’ll be
playing on the same sized field. The play will be more wide open, and the games
will only last about 30 minutes including a break.
"Come any time between 12 noon and 5 p.m.
and you’ll see a rugby game and you’ll see lots of scoring. There will be a
refreshment stand with the money going to the kids, and a party afterwards at
The Wicked Spud."
Games will consist of two seven-minute
halves plus a five-minute break. The championship game will be played shortly
after 4 p.m. Saturday.
Bald Mountain opens against the Boise
Lions Saturday at noon, while ISU goes against Mountain Home. At 12:30 p.m.,
it’s the Sefo side of Samoan players against Jackson Hole, and Park City against
the always-powerful Snake River Snakes.
Among the veteran Bald Mountain players
are props Mike Ward and Rob Swanson, and backs Terry Coe and Phil Hicks.
There will also be a ladies rugby match in
the Harlotfest tradition, meaning the gals show up and teams are drawn for a
3:30 p.m. exhibition prior to the men’s championship game. For details about the
women’s game, call Meeka Triplett at 578-2233.
Practices are currently taking place
Thursdays (at O’Donnell Park in Bellevue) and Tuesdays (at Sun Valley soccer
field) at 5:30 p.m. Experienced players and newcomers are welcome.
Upcoming Bald Mountain matches, both at
Jackson Hole (Wyo.), are the Ski Town tournament June 26 and the Teton 10s
tourney July 17. Call Patrick Donohue at 578-0944 or the Bald Mountain Rugby
Football Club hotline at 788-2431.