Mesquite, Nev-- BYU men's rugby remained undefeated after three more victories Saturday at the Red Rock Invitational.
The Cougars came out of the first day of the tournament a perfect 3-0, after victories over Utah Valley, Weber state, and Dixie state. Saturday, the cougars rematched with Utah Valley and Weber state, and faced off against UNLV.
A BYU rugby player gets through the defense and heads toward the goal line during a recent game. Photo by Elliott Miller.
BYU won all three matches in dominant fashion, with a combined score of 148-8.
Head coach David Smyth was pleased with his team's performances, and looks forward to getting even better.
“It was a good opportunity to see what we have to work with,” Smyth said. “There was some rust at times but we can address that and keep working to improve throughout the season.”
Saturday's first game was against cross town rival UVU. Former BYU track athlete John Lamont led the way to a 43-5 victory with his two tries. Freshman Jonah Lessard had a highlight moment, when he scored with a chip kick and a re-gather from 50 meters out.
In the second game, Weber state jumped out to the early 3-0 lead. But the Cougars answered in a big way, scoring 57 unanswered points to win 57-3.
In the final game, BYU beat UNLV 48-0, completing the perfect weekend with six wins and zero losses.
Team captain Kyle Sumsion was excited to start a new season and is also optimistic about this team's future.
“We had fun,” Sumsion said. “This was good to finally play some real rugby again. We’re excited about what this team can do but we have to make sure to keep up the hard work.”
The Cougars will travel next to Moraga, California, where they will take on a 9-0 St. Mary's team on Feb. 15.