THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994 TAG: 9406120259
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940612 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
Lousy weather for anything else, it seemed perfect for rugby.
{REST} To the untrained eye, this macho sport looks like unorganized mayhem. Not true. Actually, the mayhem is quite well-organized.
In fact, compared to the normal 15-man rugby played most of the year, the seven-man game, played during the spring and summer, is a finesse version of the sport.
``Because it's still a full-sized field, it's a running game,'' said John Andrews, a referee and semi-retired player from Hampton. ``It's a lot like basketball, with two-on-one breaks.''
That was certainly the case for the Norfolk Blues and NOVA, the two ``sides'' who advanced to the gold medal game with execution, and tackling, worthy of the Knicks and Rockets. In their first three games, the Blues outscored their opponents 128-0, while NOVA, short for Northern Virginia, ran up a 129-0 tally.
The teams rolled through the 11-team `A' bracket on a collision course, quite literally. But when they finally got a crack at each other, it was clear early the locals were in trouble.
NOVA, displaying the speed that is so necessary in the seven-man game, moved the ball deftly upfield and came away a 28-0 winner. NOVA managed that by scoring on four five-point ``trys'' - the rough equivalent of football touchdowns - and four two-point conversion kicks.
``They just come from a higher class than we do,'' said Blues forward Mike Coyner. ``These guys are national caliber, while we're a relatively young team.''
Still, Coyner said he was encouraged.
``This is our first summer playing sevens,'' he said. ``If we keep improving, we'll be able to compete with them.''
by CNB