Live Oak wins gold division amidst controversy; Acorns host U19
Crawshays Welsh touring side rugby team for weekend
Morgan Hill – The Live Oak Acorns rugby team finished their season strong with a win over East Palo Alto in the championship game of the gold division of the 2nd Annual Pacific Coast RFU Invitational High School Rugby Tournament at Stanford this past weekend. The Acorns won the championship while playing host to the Crawshays Welsh U19 touring side team and despite tournament controversy.
In an attempt to forge a bridge between European and American rugby, Live Oak team members, coaches and families hosted members and staff of the Crawshays team during the Northern California leg of their tour, from Thursday through Sunday.
On Friday afternoon, Crawshays and Live Oak had a joint training session at Paradise Park, followed by the Acorns end of the season banquet, including their international guests. The banquet was a chance for the Acorns to thank their coaches, supporters and teammates, as well as have a cultural exchange with their visitors.
“It’s been brilliant,” Crawshays head coach Dale MacIntosh said of the trip. “The boys are really looking forward to the games.”
“The trip has been excellent. The hospitality has been second to none,” said Crawshays’ tour liaison officer Brad Williams. “Things look very good for the future of rugby in this area.”
In their exhibitions matches during the tournament the Crawshays destroyed the Jesuit development team, 102-0 and on Sunday manhandled the San Francisco Golden Gate rugby team.
“They (Crawshays) were a very disciplined well-drilled team,” said Live Oak Bart Nielsen. “I feel they acted and performed as gentlemen. They’re true ambassadors of the game.”
The Acorns finished their own season strong by winning the championship game against EPA, who defeated them in the final last season. The Acorns defeated EPA, 29-12, despite the Palo Alto team using two ineligible players from the Elsie Allen team.
Live Oak’s Sunday morning opponents, the Islanders out of the Sacramento area, also used an ineligible player and defeated the Acorns, 5-0. However, when it was discovered that the Islanders had used a player from the Fresno State rugby team, they were forced to forfeit the match.
“The same thing happened last year,” said Nielsen. “Every time it happens, it cheapens the competition.”
On Saturday, the opening day of the tournament, the Acorns defeated Chuckawnut Bay, 20-7, and had a draw with the San Francisco Golden Gate team, 3-3.
Live Oak fullback Dustin Muhn was named the MVP of the tournament and was voted to the all-tournament team along with Erik Cifuentes, Chris Rockwell, Mark Pimentel, Tommy Sparling, Oliver Garcia, Mike Villalobos, Anthony Guidry and Colby Austin.
“It was a great strong finish for an outstanding group of young men,” said Nielsen.
At the tournament, Acorns Jason Romero and Rockwell caught the eye of the USA U19 National team coach, Will “Salty” Thompson, who told Nielsen he thought both of them could play a game with the national team.
