On Saturday March 9, the Neuqua Valley rugby team (ranked 17th nationwide) competed against Penn High School, located in Mishawaka, Indiana, (ranked fourth nationwide) in a crucial home game.

Leading up to the game, Aidan Murphy, senior Neuqua Valley rugby player, expressed his excitement for the team’s  ‘“game of the year”. “ [It was] the first game we get to play with all the guys against a really good team, and I am super excited to have the support of Gold Rush on this really important game.” Murphy has played on the Neuqua rugby team since his sophomore year and has a deep passion for it.

This was a intense game for the rugby players, as they played through the freezing cold rain and wind. The game, which was cut short at half-time, will not be rescheduled, due to the field conditions. Since Penn was leading when half-time approached, the game led to a loss for the Neuqua team. Nick Pastore , a junior Neuqua Valley rugby player, describes his feelings toward the game. “ We did what we could,” says Pastore, “and we didn’t even get to finish the game, so I think that the outcome could have been different if we could have [finished the game].”

Although the Neuqua Valley rugby team endured a loss against a nationally ranked opponent, the team will continue to compete against many local teams for the rest of the spring season, to uphold their success as a program. The rugby team plays at Commissioners Park in Naperville, and their schedule can be found at  https://rugbyillinois.org/t/neuqua-wildcats/schedule.