Category: slideshow

DIII, Ruggerfest, Playoffs

They don’t call it 80 minutes of rugby for nothing. After a strong first half the season and a few bumps along the way in the second half, the Bombers DIII side made it the Missouri DIII Playoffs.

The rankings had the Royals at #1 taking on the #4 Hornets and the #2 Bombers would face #3 Franklin County in the second match of the day.

The Bombers scored first with a try but Franklin County was able to score a try after the restart. The Bombers kept the ball deep in Franklin County’s end and scored two more tries leading half.

Franklin County took control of the second half scoring two tries early and cutting the lead down. The Bombers struggled to get the ball of their end but had a few big break away. Franklin County would take the lead with only a few minutes left in the game, but the Bombers were on the offensive. Chris Bellavia broke through the line and laid down a beautiful squib-kick to the try zone with John Pauley chasing on. John dove onto the ball in the try zone to win the game and looked like he had done it with both his and the sidelines reaction, but it was called no try and the game was over. The Bombers lost 17-20 to Franklin County and ended the playoff run.

Photos

The Royals beat Franklin County the next day for the Championship and will move onto the national playoffs in May.

Despite being out of the playoff the DIII side will represent the Bombers in this year’s Ruggerfest on Saturday, April 12th. The Bombers DII side will be traveling up to Davenport to take on Palmer in a friendly match before going to playoffs in Colorado, May 3rd.

This year marks the 66th annual St. Louis Gateway Ruggerfest and the Bombers look to repeat last year’s Championship. There are close to 60 teams this year from Men’s, Women’s, College and High School teams. First game is set at 9AM at Creve Coeur Park.

Ruggerfest

2014 Ruggerfest Schedule

The Bomber are planning a couple upcoming events such as an “Own the Bar Night” on April 26th at Colomobos Bar & Tavern. Events like these really help the club in supporting travel and gear for the club. Make sure to keep checking the website and the Facebook page for more events and club info.

Saturday is Rugby Day

Whether you believe it or not spring has officially started in the Midwest.  Saturday was a big day for the St. Louis Bombers with both sides having league matches.  With the regional playoffs looming for each side, both teams knew they needed a strong showing.

Mark Menne

The Bombers DIII side, having lost by one point last Sunday, needed to build some momentum heading into the playoffs against the Hornets.    The first half proved to be a defensive struggle with both teams refusing to give an inch.  The Bombers had the lion’s share of possession while playing in the Hornets half for most of the opening period but were unable to punch in a try.  The Hornets ended up being the first on the board with a penalty kick slotted through the uprights.  The Bombers were able to drive down the field and #10, Jim Morrison, was able to answer with a penalty of his own, tying the score going into half time.

As the second half began, the momentum was on the side of the Bombers.  They were able to add another penalty kick and then scored 3 tries in quick succession by Morrison, centre Justin McKay, and Fullback John Pauley, bringing the score to 25-3.  It appeared to the Bombers were going to cruise to a victory, but the Hornets had other ideas. The Hornets were able to stop the flood of points and turn the Bomber’s momentum on its head.  Rallying with some long scores and closing out the game on a 26-0 run.  It was a hard fought game from both teams with the final score being 29-25, Hornets.  The DIII side will still make the tournament this weekend and will surely be training hard all week to right the ship before Saturday’s first round of the playoffs in Forest Park.

Following the first game, the Bombers DII side had a tough and must win game against the Omaha G.O.A.T.S.  As Omaha and St. Louis took the field you could see the determination from both teams, each desperately needed to win this game to improve their chances of moving on to the playoffs.  From the opening kickoff you could sense the urgency of the Bombers players as they set out to take control of the game.  Luck would be on their side it seemed, as an Omaha knock-on fortuitously bounced to inside centre Ryan McDonald’s chest, corralling it in and scoring the game’s first try.  As play went on, the Bombers defense took over. A big play by Matt Skarin getting his hands under the ball stopping a try, and the continuously punishing the GOATS runners as they tried to break the gain line.

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Big defensive stop

Omaha seemed to be building momentum until, hooker, Matt Brotemarkle, kicked the ball from the deck down the center of the field as Mark Menne raced under it, scooping and scoring a long try.  The Bombers would remain in the driver’s seat the rest of the game, taking penalty points whenever they were available and adding tries from forwards Dave Klug and Alex Ochoa before the final whistle blew.   However, the defensive effort out of the Bombers was the story of the day as they cruised to a 36-0 victory and were able to keep their season alive when their backs were against the wall.  After a few weeks of rest, the DII side will be back in action when they travel to take on Palmer in Iowa.

Despite this victory and the Bombers ending 6-2 in league play it is still uncertain who the top two teams will enter the playoffs in Glendale. The Bombers have finished league play, but both Omaha and KCRFC have 3 and 2 league matches left, respectfully. More info can be found on RugbyMag.com- Logjam Atop Mid-Ameria DII

This upcoming weekend is the DIII playoffs and those games have been announced. The Bombers will take on Franklin County for the third time this season. Both teams are 1-1 against each other with Franklin County taking the recent victory. Saturday match is at Cricket Fields in Forest Park, kick off at 3pm and is expected to be a very exciting game. The Royals take on the Hornets in the first match of the day at 1pm. The two winners will play Sunday and the victor will continue onto playoffs.

Come on out Saturday, wear your Bombers apparel and cheer the Bombers onto victory. Ruggerfest is coming up soon in mid-April and we hope to repeat from last year. Click Here for more info.

New Kits

Last weekend was St. Patty’s day in St. Louis and the weather couldn’t have been any better and a sign that spring is finally coming.

The Bombers scheduled a friendly against MIZZOU’s rugby team on Saturday and turned into a fun time with friends. Of course the college kids had a little more stamina and speed than the Bombers but the Bombers kept moving forward and closing the gap. The Bombers would like to thank the MIZZOU boys for making the trip up the St. Louis and hope to play again soon.

On Sunday the Bomber’s DIII side had a make-up game from the fall against the Rowdies in Belleville, IL. The weather wasn’t as ideal with strong winds but at least it wasn’t raining or snowing. Both teams battled against each other and the wind which turned to be a key player of the game. The Bombers would suffer miss calls, missed kicks, and a try called back in a 11-12 loss against the Rowdies.

Despite two divisional losses this spring, the DIII side is still in running for the playoffs.

This weekend is probably the BIGGEST weekend for both sides. The DIII side will face Hornets in their third league match of the spring. Both teams are coming off a loss from last week and are hungry for a W. The Omaha GOATS will be traveling down to St. Louis to face the DII side in a MUST win for the Bombers. With the standings so close and only one team moving onto playoffs in May, the Bombers need to acquire as many points as they can. It’s going to be a great weekend for rugby and you can watch both games at Lucier Park, with the Hornets game starting at 1PM followed by the GOATS game at 3PM.

Lucier Park

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With spring officially here, the Bombers are doing a little spring cleaning and have ordered new kits for the team. The new jerseys features the iconic Fleur-de-lie on the chest along with the “Mopes”. Each sleeve will have either the Dubliner or Colombo’s logo on it and our new sponsor Cripsin will be featured on the back. The new kits should be in a few weeks and the Bomber’s would like to thank everyone who helped in making this happen.

So bring everyone you know, some drinks and your pets to Lucier Park this Saturday!

Schedule

Saturday night is the 2n Annual Soulard Pub Golf Open! Last year was a huge success for those who can remember and we look to have a repeat year. More information can be found on Facebook. Yes golf attire is required and green jacket may be involved!

First Games of 2014

JP splitting the D-line
JP splitting the D-line

The first matches of the spring season began last weekend with both sides traveling for games.

The DIII side faced against Franklin County in a league match in Washington, Missouri. The Bombers beat Franklin County earlier in the season and were looking for a repeat on Saturday. The Bombers struggled with drop balls and knock on as Franklin County kept the pressure up. Franklin County took control of the game, beating the Bombers 49-12.

The DII side traveled down to Tennessee to face Nashville in our first league match of the spring. Because of the new league the Bombers had to schedule a friendly match as a league match. Being the first match of the spring there were a few mistakes here and there but the Bombers were able to control the scrums and take advantage of over loads. The Bombers would go onto beating Nashville 52-21 and collect much needed bonus points.

Photos

This weekend the DII is off but the DIII has a double header with a friendly game Saturday at Lucier Park against MIZZOU and a league match against the Rowdies in Bellville on Sunday. The next couple of weeks will be big for the Bombers as playoffs for both sides’ creeps closer.

Schedule

Come out to Lucier Park this Saturday to cheer on the Bombers and enjoy some rugby.

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Is it Spring Yet?

Mardi Gras 2014By 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.

2014 Mardi Gras TentThis Saturday, March 8th, 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.