Fall 2010
White Dawgs are Wearing Black, But Not in Mourning
by Bruce Stephenson, coach
There was trepidation in the valley. The WRFC had had its last two games cancelled and hadn’t played a competitive game in three weeks. The stakes were high. The opponent this day was Amherst.
The weather in the Purple Valley has turned to late fall. Most of the leaves have changed although there were still hints of color in the surrounding hills. The mornings are cold and the afternoon temperatures are in the mid-fifties. The rugby pitch has become wet after the heavy rains of the past few weeks. However, on this day the weather gods were smiling and there was no rain and the conditions were good for the renewal of the rivalry.
White Dawgs Gain Satisfying Win, 33-7
by Bruce Stephenson, Coach
New England had been deluged with 4-6 inches of rain. Streams and rivers had flooded and many rugby games had to be cancelled due to flooded playing fields. The Williams rugby game escaped this fate. Saturday dawned brilliantly sunny with the temperature in the low 60’s. The dogs were traveling from the colorful Berkshire hills to Worcester, Massachusetts to take on the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Rugby Team. Williams traveled with 29 players via bus, thanks to parental support.
Williams Ruggers Bested by Keene State
by Bruce Stephenson, Coach
For the third Saturday in a row the weather in the “Purple Valley” was perfect. The temperature hovered in the mid-seventies. A moderate breeze blew from the western hills. Fair weather clouds scudded in the sky above the field. The hills showed more color than the week before. The reds, yellows, and oranges sparkled.
The White Dogs were facing the Conference favorite Keene State College. The Keene State “Owls” lost the Division III National Championship game last May and everyone knew they would bring their ‘A’ game. The Keene State-Williams connection is an interesting one. Williams Coach Bruce Stephenson was the founder of the Keene State College Rugby Team, coached Keene from 1991-1995 before moving to Williams in 1996, and the current Keene coach learned his rugby and played for Bruce. Enough history already!
White Dawgs Humbled
by Bruce Stephenson, Coach
What a difference a week makes. The weather conditions hadn’t changed but the opponent had and Plymouth State College was head and shoulders above the University of Hartford.
The weather was perfect. The temperature was in the 70’s. The sky was mostly clear with occasional white cumulus clouds drifting overhead. The surrounding hills were brushed with just a hint of fall color.
Williams Rugby Wins Two Against University of Hartford
by Bruce Stephenson, Coach
The weather was spectacular, with clear blue skies, a temperature hovering around seventy and a slight breeze blowing from the west. The clearness of the day made the surrounding hills seem strikingly near. Into this idyllic setting came the University of Hartford rugby team to play their first game ever against the Williams Rugby Football Club (WRFC or White Dogs). Thirty-nine white dogs took the field along with Williams Alumni from around the country that had come to watch their successors take on Hartford.