By now we are all sick and tired of the cold and snow we’ve had this winter and cannot wait until warmer weather returns. Despite the cold and limited practice the spring season must go on. First of all the Bombers would like to thank everyone that stopped by our booth at Mardi Gras in Soulard. It was a huge success and we cannot thank the volunteers enough for their help. We will have more events such as trivia, pub crawl, and a golf tournament later in the year so keep your calendar open.

This Saturday, March 8^th, the Bombers have two games as the spring season begins. The DIII-side will be starting off with a league match against Franklin County in Washington, MO kick off is at 1PM. The DII-side will be traveling down to Tennessee for a friendly match against Nashville, kick off is set for 2PM.

Schedule

Playoffs for both sides are less than two months away and every game is important for the club whether it’s a league or friendly match.

Practice Pitch

The club is starting to see our numbers  grow and we are always looking for more members, whether you’re in high school or in your 40s. If you or someone you know is interested in playing rugby, come on out to a practice session to see what all the fun is. Remember the Bombers are the only St. Louis Rugby Club to have both a competitive DII and DIII league side which means everyone gets to play at that competitive level.

Also Ruggerfest 2014 is April 12-13th at Creve Coeur Park. You can find all the information here.

Make sure to “Like” our Facebook Page and keep checking the website for updates.

After their best start of the season and only suffering their first lost a couple weeks ago the Bombers DIII side was looking to finish off the fall season on a high note against the Rowdies.

The Bombers and Rowdies were to face off earlier in the season, but due to weather the game has been postponed until spring.

With overcast, potential storms, and high winds it was another rugby game day in St. Louis, but there was something in the air that day.

The first half of the match would turn into scoring frenzy for the Bombers as Colin Fitzgerald started off with the first try only a few minutes into the match. Conversion was made by Jim Morrison giving the Bombers a 7-0 lead. Four more tries would be scored before the end of the half by Mike McMillion, Chris (Vinny) Wroughton(2), and Jim Morrison who kicked for conversion only missing one giving the Bombers a 33-0 lead at half.

Photos

Both Jim Morrison and Vinny are two gentlemen who don’t understand the word “retirement” all too well and it maybe because to many blows to the head, but either way they love the game. Morrison had major shoulder surgery during the summer and had his arm in a sling for weeks and was expected to call it quits. Vinny, like Jim, has been with the club for many years and has played multiple positions such as flanker, hooker, but mostly prop. On this day he was part of the back line and seemed to be having too much fun.

In the second half the Rowdies were able to keep the ball in the Bombers half and scored their first try of the match, making it 33-5. The Bombers would answer back with a big run from Jeff Rehder to Jim Morrison for the try. Support running was very impressive in this match along with tough individual running. The Rowdies would score another try before the end of the match, but the Bombers would win 58-10. Man of the match went to Mike (Damage) McGowan for the forwards and Mike McMillion for the backs.

The DIII side finished the fall season 6-1 and is currently in first place. The spring season will be tough, but the Bombers are heading in the right directions to make the playoffs.

Even though the fall season is over there will still be touch played during the week to keep people somewhat in shape, but everyone is encouraged to get some sort of fitness during the break. We’re hoping to have Bomber basketball as well. Keep checking back for information about Kangaroo Court and other events.

Saturday was another big weekend for the Bombers as both sides had league matches against the Royals and the Ramblers.

The undefeated DIII side faced the Royals in the first game of the day. Both teams were playing tough with the Royals taking the lead at half.

In the second half the Bombers were playing against a strong wind but continued to move the ball down the pitch. The Bombers were down by three with only a few minutes left and were deep in the Royals end. After a strong scrum and good rucking the Bombers were called on a penalty to which the Royals kicked the ball out to end the game.

The Bombers lost 14-17 to the Royals and suffered the first loss of the season. The DIII side is now 5-1 and has one more league match of the season against the Rowdies on November 16^th at Lucier Park.

The second match was another rematch for the Bombers as the DII side took on the Ramblers for the last game of the fall season.

The Bombers were first on the board with a penalty kick and a try shortly afterwards.

Kick chase played a big role in the game for both teams but the Ramblers were able to take advantage and scored a try just before half.

The forward pack played exceptional rugby and came up big on defense shutting down the pick and jams. Line-outs were very strong and the Bombers scrum was able to steal the ball away multiple times especially deep in the Bombers zone.

The Bombers were able to score two more tries in the second half and shut down the Ramblers offense. The Bombers won 23-7 and finish 4-2 in league play for the fall season. With the DII standings the Bombers were looking for a much needed bonus point but fell short.

The DII side finished strong and despite the loss the DIII side is off to its best start in years with only one loss. Congrats Gents! The Bombers would like to thank the Royals for hosting afterwards.

Schedule

There are no games scheduled this weekend, but the Bombers are sending a team down to Little Rock for the Ozark Tournament. Last year the Bombers had three teams enter the tournament with the Old Boys & Men’s side taking first place & the Academy side finishing third.

The following weekend, November 16^th, will be the last home game of the fall season at Lucier Park. The DIII side will face the Rowdies and we look forward to everyone coming out to cheer the Bombers onto victory!

Don’t forget to LIKE our Facebook page and keep checking back for updates on the Spring schedule!

Back on October 19^th the Bombers DII side traveled to Kansas to take on KCRFC. After our first meeting and close win over KCRFC earlier in the season this match was going to be a tough one.

The Bombers were first to strike with a penalty kick from Tyler Masters and a quick try by forward John Pearson. KCRFC, with their tough scrums, fought back and lead 8-12 over the Bombers at half time.

In the second half both teams had big break a ways early, but the game focused around rucks and scrums. In the last 20 minutes of the match the Bombers offense started to play with better ball movement and support running and changed the speed of the game.

Photos

Despite playing very tough rugby the last minutes of the game and two tries called back in the final seconds the Bombers fell 20-22 to KCRFC. Man of the match was Alex Ochoa and KCRFC full-back. This marks the second league loss for the Bombers, but we did get a point out of it.

The DIII side had their first match against Franklin County last weekend. Franklin County was first to score and looked to have control with their big forwards running the ball. The Bombers were quick to score with a try by Gus Kempa, but would give up another try and were down 11-15 at half.

Something must have clicked because the second half was a whole different game as the Bombers just took over.

Photos

Conditioning and a strong defense lead the Bombers to a 38-27 victory over Franklin County. The DIII side is STILL undefeated and well on their way to the playoffs.

This weekend both sides have tough league matches. The DIII side takes on the Royals at 1PM and the DII side will face the Ramblers at 3PM. Both matches are at the Cricket Field in Forest Park. The Ramblers match is the last game for the DII side this year and the DIII has one more match against the Rowdies, November 16^th.

The Little Rock Tournament is November 9^th and as last year Champion the Bombers look to repeat.