When colleges started playing serious 7s rugby, everyone assumed Saint Mary’s would be good at it; and so the Gaels were, but at the same time, they never won a national title.

They came close - finishing second in 2011 and usually pushing for a spot in the semis or winning the Plate. But Sunday, Saint Mary’s won it all.

“We were conscious of it,” said Joe Reavey, who played on some of those Saint Mary’s teams before graduating and now becoming the 7s coach. “We felt strongly we were the best team at the tournament. People always say that how we play 15s translates to 7s, but we still had to execute.”

Reavey took the reins of the Saint Mary’s 7s team last year, and this year recent grad Kingsley McGowan joined as an assistant. Tim O’Brien, the Head Coach of the 15s team, basically game Reavey free rein to get the job done.

“Tim O’Brien worked with the school and the Athletic Department, but working with the players, picking the players, where we play, and the logistics - that was up to me and Kingsley,” said Reavey. “I love it.”

The players seemed to respond, too, as Saint Mary’s overcame a couple of shaky moments to run the table and win the Men’s DI USA Rugby College 7s Championships. The run included a 21-17 win over Notre Dame College where little mistakes started to creep in, and NDC was within two points until the final couple of minutes. It included a 19-12 win over Arizona State where ASU led 12-7 with two minutes to go.

It included the final, where AIC led 5-0 early until Holden Yungert’s try at the end of the first half; a game that ended 7-5.

Everything was tense. 

“We had to dig deep as a team,” said Reavey, who make Mike McCarthy captain of the 7s team and saw him explode with crucial tries in almost every contest. “Notre Dame College and Arizona State were very good teams. But 99% of what we’ve done is the players working really hard and just getting it done.”

Dylan Audsley was superb, showing all of the skill and explosiveness that earned him the Rudy Scholz Award. Yungert, upset at missing much of the season due to injury, was brilliant.

“I think he’s a great 15s player, but he could be even better as a 7s player,” said Reavey. “The way he sees the field and his rugby mind - it’s just so impressive.”

Kevin O’Connor was a solid body in the middle who always seemed to get go-forward, or push the opposition back.

“He’s tough as nails,” said Reavey, “and a brick wall in defense. His work rate is through the roof, and he’s the kind of big guy you want as a 7s forward.”

It all came together. But it was also difficult. The first two games of the weekend were blowouts, sure, but after that the Gaels had to work through four games with an average margin of victory of about six. Just as previous years had seen the championship slip away by the thinnest of margins, this year, Saint Mary’s held onto that margin, and are champions. Finally.