WILDCATS NAME ROSTER FOR RETURN TO COLLEGIATE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
Captain Cesar Davila '16 hopes to end his Arizona career with a Cup victory in Philadelphia next weekend.
May 27- Arizona has named the 12-man roster that will travel to Philadelphia next week to compete in the 2016 Collegiate Rugby Championship with Captain Cesar Davila leading an exciting group of players.
Davila is joined in the leadership of the team by fellow
CRC veterans, with Kyle Rogers and Shane Dempsey
both selected following strong seasons. Bryce Mantell
joins Rogers in being selected for his third straight CRC
and looks to continue his strong form from last week's
Celtic Sevens.
In addition to the veterans, the strong Sophomore class
of the Wildcats is represented well, with Geoff Barnes
Award winner Jonah Eldridge, USA Under-20 Tyler
Sousley, and Wildcat of the Week Ben Joseph all named
to the roster.
The new faces in this year's squad are Sousley and five
freshmen, as Matt Rogers, Jack San Pietro, Garrett
Walker, Lou MacLaughlin, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all
make the roster in their first year as Wildcats.
Head Coach Sean Duffy has put the team through a rigorous selection process, with sessions on the field, in the classroom, and in tournaments leading up to the trip. "I'm very much looking forward to Philadelphia and for this group to hopefully reap the rewards of the hard work they've put in" said Duffy.
Arizona looks to build on last year's success in Philadelphia, where the team led by Captain and current
Arizona Assistant Coach Jack Arnold won their pool by defeating PSU and two-time champ Dartmouth. In the cup rounds, Arizona knocked off two-time national champion Arkansas State, handing them their first loss in two years before narrowly losing to Kutztown in the Cup Semifinal.
For Coach Duffy and the Wildcats, this will be the chance to take the next step. "At the end of the day,
we want to be able to say we represented our university and alumni well. I think if you ask each man
on this roster what their goal is, it's to bring the Pete Dawkins trophy home to Tucson. Each night,
when the session's ending, we reiterate the goal of getting value out of each and every rep. Each man
on this roster's done that" said Duffy. Arizona will have many vying for the cup this year, with champion
Cal slotted in Pool A and fellow PAC-12 rivals UCLA and Utah also in this year's field. The US Rugby Hall of
fame induction ceremonies also highlight the weekend, with Dave Sitton and Steve Gray two of the
inductees this year. "We'll take one game at a time, and our hope is that our massive work under the sun here in Tucson will pay off in Philly" said Duffy.
Arizona is slotted in Pool B with Army, Navy, and Saint Joseph's this year. The six pool winners and the top two second place finishers advance to the cup rounds, with the remaining teams advancing to the Bowl and Plate brackets.
Collegiate Rugby Championships Roster
(click for player bio)
Jack San Pietro '19 is one of five freshmen in the Cats' CRC squad.
Jonah Eldridge '18 and the Wildcats hope to build on last year's run to the Cup Semifinal.