The Jr. Black Hawks are the newest addition to the club this year and needless to say the matches this past weekend at the Arizona Rugby Festival were much anticipated! We were set to play four teams, all of which were from Arizona. The Black Hawks High School Youth Rugby Team and the Jr. Hawks team were the only two teams from out of state. We had no idea how the new team would perform and I can say we were pleasantly surprised!
Our first match was against the North Valley Scorpions. The energy was high as the ref blew the whistle to start off the first of four matches! Ryan Bainbridge scored the Jr. Hawks 1st ever try! Tyler Olmstead proved to be a successful kicker with most of his drop kicks lading just before the try line which were often picked off by JT Tebbs who was as asset all over the field! This set the tone for the rest of the day. The Jr. Black Hawks dominated the field with a win of 35 to 0! All players displayed tremendous skill and love for the game! It was quite a site to see.
Our second match was against the Phoenix Firebirds. This team was more evenly matched with the Jr. Hawks as they scored the first try of the match. Back to back each team scored but the Jr. Hawks pulled it out in the end with the win of 25 to 20!
Our third match was against the Scottsdale Wolves. The team put forward a great effort but they were simply no match for the Jr. Hawks! Victory was to be ours once again with a win of 30 to 0!
Our fourth and final match was against Red Mountain Youth Rugby Club, the last of the Arizona teams to go up against the Jr. Hawks. Hopeful for at least one win against the Jr. Hawks, the Arizona based team was soon met with disappointment. The Jr. Hawks delivered, once again, the taste of victory with a score of 25 to 5! The Jr. Hawks far exceeded our expectations and produced a flawless victory against every team they met this day.
The successful coaching was clearly seen throughout every match and put on display by every player that walked onto the field. Great job to ALL!
Congratulations Jr. Black Hawks and Coaches to victories well deserved!!