Melrose Rugby Team in Championship Tonight

MELROSE, MA - A Melrose rugby team is in the national championship game Saturday in Colorado but their devoted fan base will be watching live as the match will be streaming at local pub Hugh O’Neil’s at 9 p.m.

The Mystics, who play at Pine Banks on the Malden-Melrose line and were founded in 1974, are an elite team on the national level – they regularly advance in the tournament, however this is their first championship appearance. “We’ve earned respect for being good for a long time but hopefully we can be great this weekend and bring a championship back to Malden and Melrose,” said Brett Willis, an ex-player who is now president of the team.

This year, the team is helped by two non-U.S. stars that league rules allowed the Mystics to sign – Alatasi (Tasi) Tupou, of Samoa, and Robbie Malneek, of New Zealand. “Tasi has given us instant success,” Willis said. “Both players made everyone better and embraced the culture and family we have with the Mystics.”

Coach Josh Smith said the team reflects the hard-working communities they represent. “We’re a very blue-collar team,” he said. “We have a lot of guys who are coming eight-hour shifts at work who emphasize the toughness side more than the skill side of the game.” The Mystics also have under 19 and under 17 teams, operate a youth camp in the summer and have donated $100,000 over the years to maintain the field at Pine Banks, Willis said.

The Mystics advanced to the championship game by persevering through rain and muddy fields at the semi-finals in Pittsburgh. Tomorrow, they’ll try and bring a national championship back to Malden and Melrose.