Blacksburg Rugby

Blacksburg opened the 2009 schedule by hosting Johnson City, Tennessee, in a friendly match. Johnson City made the trip up Interstate 81 in rainy weather and traveled light, borrowing a couple of players from Blacksburg to fill out the side and ensure a stock of reserves.

The final account didn't favor Johnson City, but one wouldn't know it from the bruises and wounds left on the Blacksburg players. The visitors brought a physical confrontational from start to finish and played intensely, forcing the home side to earn the win. Standing out among strong Blacksburg performances was man of the match Nate Gaertner, who returned from a brief hiatus from the sport with a standout effort in the loose forwards.

Blacksburg will now rest up with a weekend off before heading to a challenging road match against Division I opponent Norfolk Blues.