Malden Rugby Team Wins National Crown

MALDEN, MA - Last year's Mystic River team made it to rugby's national semifinals before losing. This year, as hometown fans cheered them on from a pub in Malden, the locals won it all Saturday night in Boulder, Colorado.

The Mystics, who have played their home games at Pine Banks in Malden since they were founded in 1974, brought home the first national rugby championship to Malden when they won the USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club Men's Division I National Championship Saturday by defeating the Austin Blacks 45-33.

The championship was a thriller from start to finish, with momentum swinging back and forth through 80 minutes. Mystic's title was a year in the making following a Semifinal defeat to eventual Champion New York Athletic Club in 2015.

"This means everything," Mystic River Coach Josh Smith said. "We really thought we had a shot this year. We had some players turn down pro contracts for this moment. When we got through [the Quarterfinals and Semifinals in] Pittsburgh there was a lot of talk about what these guys gave up, and we got the job done today."

The first half was a time for feeling each other out, and Mystic River sent Austin reeling with fast hands and an even faster No. 13. Alatasi Tupou - Most Valuable Player in the Final - ran a line opposite that of his team's attack and shook off three defenders to open the scoring just four minutes into the match.

"We got to halftime and there wasn't a lot to sort out," Smith said following the match. "We felt good about where we were at - we just needed to clean it up. We had 60-meter mistakes costing us left and right. Ball in hand we're a deadly team, especially on a track like [Infinity Park's], and eventually we got it there."

Thaks to three penalty kicks and a goal, Austin held the lead in the second half. The game was blown wide open in the second half.

But a flick of the wrist from Robbie Malneek near the touch line sent the ball to Evin O'Driscoll in just enough space to score with the man-advantage, and Mystic River took the lead at 30-26. From there, it was never in doubt - and the championship was on its way to Malden.