Arkansas Targets HOA Title

There’s still plenty of rugby to be played in the Heart of America Conference, but things are looking good for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Why? They’ve only played two league games. This is true, but one game was against Kansas State, who had beaten four straight opponents and looked set to be league champs. Instead, Arkansas beat K-State 29-20 on October 18. They followed that up with a 60-17 win over Kansas (K-State’s only remaining conference opponent), but that’s it … until this weekend.

Arkansas hosts Oklahoma State in a game that re-starts the HOA after the Winter Break. Club president Cameron Probst says his team is trying not to look past OSU and on to their March 14 clash with Missouri - Mizzou lost to Kansas State 25-24 and it’s Missouri that has the best chance of passing those other two for 1st in the conference. But, “we feel very confident right now.”

The Razorbacks played recently against local club side the Gryphons, and also played John Brown University. Their development side lost, but many of the newer plays showed well, and Probst said the team’s depth is building.

“We are feeling good,” he said. “We beat the Gryphons with our A side and we’re building off that.”

Paced by the play of outside center Corey Jones, and with a forward pack that is working well together, Arkansas has an excellent shot at earning one of the eight national DIAA playoff spots. The thing is, even if they don’t, they feel good, because their 7s team is actually quite good, too.

“I don’t think we can do both the 15s and 7s championships,” said Probst. “But we’d like to. Right now we just have to worry about our next game and hope it works out the way we want it to.”

Heart of America Standings