NIC rugby club battles tough Cougar team

Two Washington State rugby players take down an NIC player March 15 on Washington State’s campus. Photo courtesy of Joshua Martinez

As a junior college rugby team, it’s tough competing against four-year schools, especially when that team invites some of its Pac-12 football players to play rugby.

The Washington State University rugby club beat the North Idaho College rugby club 59-19 March 15 on the Cougars’ campus in Pullman, Wash.

NIC’s Jim White scored two tries and two conversions to lead the team. He had one try and conversion in each half.

A try is worth five points and a conversion is worth two.

Eric Fisher scored his first try of the season for NIC in the second half.

White said he was happy with how NIC competed, scoring 19 points against the Cougars. He also said Washington State is always strong in the spring season because it recruits football players.

NIC’s Kyle Gates suffered a concussion during the game.

Washington State is one of nine members of the Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference (NCRC). It holds the second place spot in the NCRC Eastern Division with a 6-3 overall record.

Central Washington, Eastern Washington, Boise State and Idaho make up the other four schools in the Eastern Division.

The Western Division consists of Oregon, Washington, Western Oregon and Western Washington.

The conference is expected to expand starting next spring by opening up two new divisions – Division II and III.

NIC will be a Division III team next spring if the conference does expand.