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Gulf Coast Super Regional Champions!
Leonel Ruiz8 May 2023 - 11:45
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The Trident RFC makes history by winning the Gulf Coast Super Regional and qualifying for the National Playoffs.
May 7th, 2023
On a sunlit and blustery day in Lake Nona, FL, The Trident RFC were crowned Gulf Coast Super Regional Champions, advancing into the Final Four National Championship Series to be held on June 3rd & 4th in St. Louis, MO. Their previous highest finish was making it into the top sixteen.
The Gulf Coast Super Regional was the rugby equivalent of a marathon, two full matches in two consecutive days. The Tridents first test was on Saturday against the Texas Rugby Champions, San Antonio. After much back and forth, the Tridents tied up the score late in the match and then punched through a field goal to win 24-21. Of course, Sunday's tournament finals was going to be even more intense and epic. Our opponent was a very strong NOLA RFC side. On Saturday, they had handily eliminated last year's defending national champions, Charlotte RFC, while the Tridents were busy with the Armadillos of San Antonio.
The Tridents would have to play even better than they did in Saturday's nail biter of a match to defeat NOLA RFC. They would also have to do it without German Jalil and Jose "Turbo" Tomatis, two trident mainstays who left the San Antonio match early due to injuries. Spy reports noted that NOLA were a very large and physical team whose forwards loved to attack via set pieces and mauls and a fly half who loved to kick for position. The Tridents opened the game with some of the best rugby they have displayed so far this season to take the lead. It would not last, with NOLA taking a small lead by halftime. The second half was a physical battle between the two forward packs. The Trident pack would not back down from the challenge of the significantly larger NOLA tight five. The Tridents tied the score up at 25 all as time expired, forcing the game into overtime. The winning score was a try by our center, Kyle Burnett.
The next step for the Tridents is the National Playoffs to be held on June 3rd & 4th in St. Louis, MO.
On a sunlit and blustery day in Lake Nona, FL, The Trident RFC were crowned Gulf Coast Super Regional Champions, advancing into the Final Four National Championship Series to be held on June 3rd & 4th in St. Louis, MO. Their previous highest finish was making it into the top sixteen.
The Gulf Coast Super Regional was the rugby equivalent of a marathon, two full matches in two consecutive days. The Tridents first test was on Saturday against the Texas Rugby Champions, San Antonio. After much back and forth, the Tridents tied up the score late in the match and then punched through a field goal to win 24-21. Of course, Sunday's tournament finals was going to be even more intense and epic. Our opponent was a very strong NOLA RFC side. On Saturday, they had handily eliminated last year's defending national champions, Charlotte RFC, while the Tridents were busy with the Armadillos of San Antonio.
The Tridents would have to play even better than they did in Saturday's nail biter of a match to defeat NOLA RFC. They would also have to do it without German Jalil and Jose "Turbo" Tomatis, two trident mainstays who left the San Antonio match early due to injuries. Spy reports noted that NOLA were a very large and physical team whose forwards loved to attack via set pieces and mauls and a fly half who loved to kick for position. The Tridents opened the game with some of the best rugby they have displayed so far this season to take the lead. It would not last, with NOLA taking a small lead by halftime. The second half was a physical battle between the two forward packs. The Trident pack would not back down from the challenge of the significantly larger NOLA tight five. The Tridents tied the score up at 25 all as time expired, forcing the game into overtime. The winning score was a try by our center, Kyle Burnett.
The next step for the Tridents is the National Playoffs to be held on June 3rd & 4th in St. Louis, MO.
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