The Colorado men’s rugby team beat Utah 14-12 to win the Pacific Coast Collegiate 7’s Championship in Palo Alto, Calif.
A victory in the tournament, which included every Pac-12 team except top-ranked Cal and USC, qualifies the Buffs for the USA Rugby Collegiate 7’s National Championship in December.
After Utah beat CU by nine in the first round, the Buffs stormed back by winning five straight matches. They topped Oregon State 24-12, crushed Arizona State 29-5, and dismantled Oregon 43-5.
In the semifinals the Buffs took on UCLA, the victor of Group A. They won 17-14 over the Bruins thanks to a last minute try by freshman Jordan Kennedy. While this was going on, Utah beat up on Washington State to the tune of 45-0.
Though they trailed 5-0 at the half, CU went on a string of 12 unanswered points to tack revenge on the Utes. The No. 22 Buffs held on to their lead following a comeback try by the No. 2 Utah to secure the upset.
The Collegiate 7’s National Championship begins Dec. 16 in College Station, Texas.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Michael Kurmholtz at Michael.krumholtz@colorado.edu.
