Saturday, June 02, 2012

Rugby Sevens On Tap

Dartmouth is defending its USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championship this weekend at PPL Park in Philadelphia. A total of 16 teams will play 38 matches culminating with the title game Sunday afternoon.

Competing teams in addition to Dartmouth are Arizona, Army, Cal, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Navy, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Temple, Texas, Wisconsin and . . . Life University. Utah won the first CRC Sevens title in 2010 before Dartmouth won last year.

Today's play features four pools of four playing each other with the top eight teams going into the championship bracket tomorrow.

The broadcast schedule has games from 2-4 p.m. today on the NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus) and games from 4:30-6 on regular NBC. Games will be on the NBC Sports Network from 2-4 tomorrow and from 4-6 on regular NBC.

Dartmouth will kick off the regular NBC coverage at 4:38 playing the Florida Gators.

Speaking of Dartmouth rugby, check out this video that features former All-Ivy wide receiver Tanner Scott running with the ball early, former defensive back Muhammed Abdul-Shakoor flipping over the goal line at the end and comments from Wayne Young, former Dartmouth football captain, rugby coach and current football and baseball announcer. If you haven't seen the clubhouse and the game-day environment at the facility on Reservoir Road, by all means watch the video and be prepared to be impressed.

The renovated Hanover Inn has opened 94 of its 108 rooms in time for graduation. Oops, beter make that The Hanover Inn at Dartmouth College.
Our Green Machine baseball team opened play at Little Fenway Park in Maine last night with a 10-0 win. Unfortunately for the kids, the forecast is for heavy rains and flooding from now through the end of their stay Sunday evening. So disappointing . . .