Development League Opens with Proof-of-Concept Game
Development League Opens with Proof-of-Concept Game
North Carolina and Life University opened up the first season of the East Coast Development XVs Cup, with Life’s 2nd side beating UNC 83-22 on the weekend.
This competition, outlined here>>, is designed to provide meaningful 15-a-side competition for developing teams and established 2nd sides during the spring.
Ten teams are involved, with five being the 2nd sides of D1A programs, and the other five being D1AA-level teams.
Life ran out a young side against North Carolina and certainly came through with more cohesion and pace of play.
But this wasn’t a distressing experience for UNC. Tar Heels Head Coach Joe Rasmus said he and the players came away with plenty of positives and Rasmus added that several players told him this was the most enjoyable rugby game they had played.
“We took away a massive feeling of confidence,” said Rasmus, adding that the players came away feeling they could hand with a D1A program.
“With about 30 minutes gone it was 14-13, which was proof of concept that our squad has the skills, tactics, and decision-making to play some very high-level rugby,” said Ramus.
But, he added, that requires a physical and mental intensity that his team could only maintain for half an hour.
“But short of experience the pressure, physicality, and speed from a squad like Life’s, players can’t really simulate that,” said Rasmus. “That’s not something you can be told about; it’s something that players must experience and feel.”
Rasmus said he expects training intensity to increase this coming week.
Life got three tries from Aaron Faison and two each from Seth Kros and Asaru Holloway. Flyhalf Jonty Lee converted five and added a try for 15 points on the day.
So Life dominated the scoreboard, but not so much that UNC didn’t get their licks in.
“Not only did we score, we scored six times with two tries and four penalties,” said Rasmus. “We found ways to keep the scoreboard ticking up even as we were at the end of our peak. It’s been a while since UNC took on a challenge of this magnitude. Life will never be an easy game, but now we know we can survive a game against Life. Now we know we can score against Life. Now we know we can have fun playing elite teams.”
That’s the whole point of the ECDC.
Next week Belmont Abbey 2nds play South Carolina, Southern Virginia 2nds play Mount St. May’s 2nds, and Virginia Tech is at UMW 2nds.
What this does is provide a competition with a trophy at the end of it for programs looking to develop young players, and teams looking to play tougher competition in order to improve.
