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NRU HS Boys Championship & 26th Annual Dead Ants Tournament - May 31, 2003
Xavier High School & Rochester Aardvarks Capture Titles

NRU HS Boys Championship & 26th Annual Dead Ants Tournament
Xavier High School & Rochester Aardvarks
BATAVIA , NY --Rugby action was non-stop at May 3-4 at Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY with the Northeast Rugby Union High School Championships and the 26th Annual Dead Ants Tournament both being hosted by the Genesee Rugby Club. Perfect weather & field conditions, great crowds and top level competition made for one of the most successful events in the clubs thirty-year history.

Xavier High School from New York City swept the NRU High school championship and earned a berth in the USA High School Championships May 17-18 in Dallas, TX, by besting Boston College High School, 22-6, in a hotly contested final on Sunday. BC High will represent the NRU in the second tier of the National High School Championships. Xavier won both of their pool matches on Saturday with wins over a determined McQuaid High School, 22-7, and downing Keio Academy, 26-5.

In one of the hardest matches of the competition Boston College HS squeaked out a 7-5 win over Fairfield Prep from Fairfield, CT, and cruised to a 39-0 win over Fairport High School. In other pool action Keio Academy edged McQuaid High School, 8-5, and Fairfield Prep beat Fairport, 38-3. Other Sunday action saw Fairfield Prep top Keio Academy in the third place game, 47-7, and McQuaid downed Fairport, 22-0, for fifth place.

In the 26th Annual Dead Ants Tournament, the Rochester Aardvarks continued their domination of the event by winning for an unprecedented eight consecutive year in a fiercely contested final over the Syracuse Chargers, 18-16. Syracuse jumped out to an early lead by scoring two first half tries and kicking two penalty kicks. The Chargers lead 16-6 at the break, but couldn't hold on as Rochester scored twice in the second half and made one conversion to put Syracuse away.

Rochester had a scare in their first pool game barely getting by Erie, PA, 7-3, and easily beat the Finger Lakes Vikings 40-0. Rochester Aardvarks then won their semi-final match against cross- town rival Rochester Colonials 29-17. Syracuse had much easier trip to the finals with pool wins over Lockport by 60-0 and Belleville, Ont. 45-7. Syracuse ousted Erie, PA in their semi-final by a 24-0 win.

The women's division was won by Cortland State with wins over St. John Fisher College, 12-5, and Chesapeake Rugby Club, 10-3. The other women's game saw Chesapeake down St. John Fisher, 18-7.

Photo:Xavier High School on the attack against Boston College High School in the finals of the Northeast Rugby Union High School Championships.

2003 Northeast Rugby Union High School Championships
Gensee Community College | Batavia, NY
May 3-4, 2003