Bonnies fall to Wheeling, 19-5, in nationwide rugby 7s title sport – St. Bonaventure College

St. Bonaventure fell to defending nationwide champion Wheeling, 19-5, within the Premier Cup bracket of the Collegiate Rugby Championship Nationwide 7s Saturday night.
The loss ended an impressed two-day tourney run during which they outscored 4 groups, 88-29, on the best way to the title sport.
“Actually happy with the boys, however gutted on the similar time,” mentioned Danny Neighbour, Bonnies’ coach. “We nearly beat them at their very own event earlier this 12 months so we knew we might play with them. If we’d have linked with a few missed passes, it’s a distinct story. 7s is so robust like that. You’ll be able to’t miss alternatives once they come.”
The CRC 7s nationwide title sport look was the primary in class historical past for St. Bonaventure, which has reached the CRC 15s nationwide title sport twice (2021, 2023), successful the championship in 2021.
Within the title sport, the Bonnies managed a lot of the first-half play, however misplaced a scrum close to midfield that led to Wheeling’s first rating with simply over a minute to play within the half.
Wheeling took a 19-0 lead within the second half earlier than Troy Heroldt scored on a long term to avert the shutout. The Bonnies nearly reduce it to a one-score sport, however have been stopped simply in need of the attempt zone with beneath a minute to play.
Bonnies reached the title sport with a 19-12 semifinal win over Belmont Abbey Saturday afternoon, rallying from an early 5-0 deficit.
Harry Healy, the Bonnies’ main scorer within the event (6 tries), scored off a superb kick-ahead cross from Scott Wilson late within the first half to place SBU up 7-5 at halftime. Healy and Heroldt scored within the second half to place the Bonnies up 19-5 earlier than Belmont added a last-second attempt.
To succeed in Saturday’s last 4, the Bonnies on Friday defeated Delaware, 26-10, Clemson, 31-0, and Iowa Central, 12-7, making a late defensive stand to thwart the Tritons.
Heroldt, Kye Terry and Manu Taula every scored a pair of tries for the Bonnies within the event; Heroldt added 9 conversions.
All 4 groups within the semifinals are members of the brand new Atlantic Coast Rugby Convention, which begins play this fall. SBU, Queens and Belmont Abbey have been members of Rugby East till this spring.
Queens, which misplaced to Wheeling, 38-12, within the semifinals, defeated Belmont Abbey in extra time, 17-12, within the third-place sport.
______________
Concerning the College: The nation’s first Franciscan college, St. Bonaventure is a group dedicated to reworking the lives of its college students inside and out of doors the classroom, inspiring in them a dedication to tutorial excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities within the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for worth and #14 for innovation by U.S. Information and World Report (2024).
 
 

source