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EMPIRE STATE GAMES 7's RUGBY
Western Claims Both Men's and Women's Golds

Binghamton, NY - For the seventh year in a row, seven-a-side rugby has been included in the Empire State Games. On Thursday, July 29, over 150 athletes, coaches and administrators converged on Binghamton, N.Y., for two days of action-packed 7s. The New York State Referees Society (NYSRRS)and the Referees Society of Met NY provided game officials. Administrative assistance and support came from the New York State Rugby Conference (NYS Rugby).

ESG divides New York State into six regions (Adirondack, Central, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City and Western) and athletes from each region participate in trials in late May and early June. By mid-June a final team has been selected and names are submitted to ESG officials. The games themselves are held on the last weekend of July. Participants for rugby were divided into men's and women's divisions and played a round robin format. After the round robin, the 3rd and 4th place teams play for the bronze medal and the 1st and 2nd play for the gold and silver medals.

The team records after the pool play were:

The medal games in both divisions were exciting. However, both medal games in the women's division were decided in overtime. Central, with an OT try by Heather Wahilia, defeating Long Island, 17-12, to claim the bronze medal. In the women's gold medal game, Women's MVP Kristen "Red" Huber captained the Western team to a 15-10 victory over a much improved Adirondack team, led by ESG veterans Jenn Boland, Tracey Cooper and Ruth Perry.

The men's division had the six-time medal winners Long Island, coached by Jerry Mirro, fall to Hudson Valley, 22-10, in the bronze medal game. The men's gold medal match was a very close physical game with Ian Martin and Adam Brown scoring first half trys for Western en route to a 10-7 victory. Central's Ruairidh Sawers, from Cornell, added a second half try. Western's Alex Nadiak was the men's MVP.

Many thanks to the ESG staff, especially Chuck Halligan, John Doherty and Susan Maxwell, all the volunteers, players and coaches for a great event.

The 2005 Empire State Games will be held in the Hudson Valley, with rugby competition tentatively scheduled for Vassar College's rugby complex.

Prepared by Michael Raffe, ESG State Sport Chair for Rugby