Asheville Rugby win title, advances in playoffs

ASHEVILLE – With a championship in hand and undefeated season still possible, the Asheville Rugby Club continues its quest for titles.

The Iguanas (12-0) won the Carolina Union Rugby Championship last week, a 37-14 rout of Greensboro Triad in a home match.

Now the team advances to the South Championships May 3-4 in Charlotte, along with squads from Montgomery (Ala.), Savannah (Ga.) and Gainesville (Fla.). Asheville will play Montgomery in a semifinal match-up May 3.

The winner of the South title moves on to the East Championship in Pittsburgh, with the National Finals to follow in Madison, Wisc.

This is the first time in the 31-year history of Asheville Rugby that a team has advanced this far in the postseason, and coach Patrick Dennehy said his players are peaking at the right time.

“The team is playing its best rugby right now,” he said.

“(The players) have worked exceptionally hard this spring, starting practice in January and enduring many cold and wet nights.”

The Iguanas dominated its match against long-time rival Triad, taking a 29-0 lead at the end of the 40-minute first half.

Asheville got some long runs early in the match from Andrew Tanner and Garrison Bowers to provide great field position, and 17-year veteran Brian Marshall scored four tries (equivalent to a touchdown in football), while captain Ben Disney added a try.

“It was certainly our best game of the season at just the right time,” said Marshall, 39, an Asheville resident who owns a real-estate company.

“We’ve had some good teams in the past, but most of this group has been together for awhile, and knowing each other, trusting that you will know where your teammates are going to be, makes such a big difference in being successful.”

“The team came out and played with passion and purpose,” said Dennehy. “We completely dominated the first half and substituted liberally in the second half.”

The veteran coach said he hopes the Iguanas can continue their magical run.

“Montgomery is undefeated, big and physical,” he said.

“We have to play smart rugby, avoid penalties and try to use our speed. It’s been so much fun to coach a team that supports one another and genuinely enjoys each other, on and off the field.”