Rebuilding Utes Face Tough Opener
Rebuilding Utes Face Tough Opener
A mild winter may be a frustration for winter sports lovers in Utah, but it’s good news for the University of Utah men’s rugby team as they have a big game coming up, oh, Saturday.
The Utes managed to get some outside training in Salt Lake City - a rare luxury in Utah in January - and that is important for a team still wending its way back from a suspension in 2013. Program Director Mark Drown, along with Head Coach Haloti Liava’a, and coaches Jon Law and Elvis Hansen, see this season as a chance to show that the Utes program is truly back among the elite.
They have about 45 players on the roster, and Drown says he is very pleased with how the team is training.
But with St. Mary’s on the docket for January 10 in Moraga, Calif., and BYU in St. George, Utah two weeks later, they have to be up to speed in short order.
“Some dominoes going to fall into place very quickly,” said Drown. “Out west there’s no way to not have a tough schedule. The PAC Conference is a loaded group, and for us playing St Mary’s was a great option. They were going to come out to play BYU and us later in the season, so we said, ‘we’ll come out and play you as well.’ It gives us two awesome games, and we have two games against BYU as well, and then the PAC Conference games. For us, every game is tough, and everything is an opportunity.”
Flyhalf Danny Christensen is due back soon from an injury for his final season, and All American Tonata Lauti is a player who can make something out of nothing. Up front, Spencer Vickery is the senior forward and, said Drown, “a great role model.”
But the Utes are also bringing in some young talent. Former Snow Canyon freshman Chad Gough was a big guy, but came back from his LDS Mission leaner and more muscular, and can play pretty much anywhere in the pack.
So they have the pieces coming together on the field, and off the field, they just need to keep their noses clean.
“Last year went really well,” said Drown about the Utah program, which got a reduction in their suspension based on good behavior. “The Administration is pleased with professionalism the kids have shown. That’s been big for us.”
