Blacksburg Rugby

After losing a match to start the month and then waiting through a quiet weekend off, Blacksburg rebounded with a 40-17 win on the road against James River in Richmond to get its campaign back on track.

The match was much closer than the score indicated, as the hosts hustled from the first minute to the 80th and were rewarded with three tries and a conversion. Blacksburg battled at times to brush away the rust and had some clangers in the slightly wet conditions, but managed enough patches of fluid play to notch six tries and five conversions. Halfback Kurt Goddard earned man of the match honors for a dynamite outing that included a bone-ratttling tackle and at least one bullet pass through a crowd that set up a try and had the sideline blinking in amazement.

Following the first match, James River generously hosted a reserves match showcasing a talented group of Blacksburg's up-and-coming developmental players against a mixed group from James River and Blacksburg. A formal score was not recorded in the match, but the general outcome was that Blacksburg Developmental played well but couldn't quite finish off as many tries as the opposition. Adam Street's strong defense and line breaks in attack earned him man of the match recognition. After this good-natured but spirited event, James River continued their excellent hospitality by hosting a social feed in downtown Richmond.

Next week, Blacksburg will travel to Roanoke, Virginia, next Saturday to take on Blackwater in Roanoke as part of Roanoke Rugby's "B Cup" breast cancer fundraiser event. Players and supporters are encouraged to attend the day's matches and support the cause.