William Paterson’s 2-0 start in the Tri-State Conference is notable enough, but even more so when you consider WPU did not win a single conference game last year.

The turnaround isn’t a fluke. WPU defeated NJIT and Molloy, two teams that were 5-1 in the conference last season. 

New Coach Morne Pretorius took over the team in the spring, and worked them through some 7s tournaments, which helped restore confidence and enthusiasm. Pretorius knew he had a job ahead of him, but didn’t mind.

“This was the first of situation I was looking for,” Pretorius told Goff Rugby Report. “I wanted something that we could build, something that needed work, not a place where everything was handed to us.”

Well, WPU certainly wasn’t getting everything handed to them. Pretorius started with a core of just over a dozen returning players, and now has 27 on the roster and building. He said they’ve put last year behind them and are working hard.

“I was really excited to work with a bunch of really good young men who are keen to play rugby and keen to put in the hard work,” said the coach. “We’ve been working hard on the basics and working as a team. We needed to get over ourselves a bit and say, why could it be us?”

The victories have come. Pretorius said those victories have depended heavily on a team approach, and especially in defense. Last week’s win over Molloy was so much of a team effort that he didn’t even name a game MVP. 

“We’ve got to the point that we’re confident now,” said Pretorius. “We’re working the ball wide, and we’re putting in the effort. The smallest player on the team is tackling their big players. It’s a rebuilding, but it’s going well.”