The Saint Ignatius rugby team has come a long way in a few short years, from a fledgling varsity team to No. 1 in the nation.
After the Wildcats' 41-24 victory over Xavier (NY) on Saturday, the Goff Rugby Report promoted the Rugby Cats to No. 1 overall.
The Goff Rugby Report, the premier source of rugby information, publishes a national poll of the top 50 single-school teams in the nation. The Wildcats leaped from No. 4 to No. 1 after the win over Xavier.
Alex Goff explained this week's rankings:
"So someone might be annoyed at our pick for the #1 single-school team in the country this week.
"After all, what did Jesuit do to get bumped? Well, really, nothing at all. However, they were idle (as far as league or playoff games go). St. Ignatius? What's that about? They lost, didn't they? They lost to Gonzaga! Well, true, they did, and they also beat some really strong teams, including Xavier this past weekend. Gonzaga hasn't had that string of top results - they lost more than once, albeit to very strong opposition. It's up for debate, of course, but we've got St. Ignatius with a tough schedule and one blip at #1 and Jesuit with the not quite as tough schedule (in our opinion) and no blips."
The Wildcats have enjoyed a thrilling start to the year, breaking out to a 10-1 record. The team has traveled to France, won all three of its games at Wasmer Field, and defeated the No. 4, No. 7, and No. 43 teams in the nation by a combined 66 points.
The Rugby Cats, however, are not content with rankings. The team still has quite a strong schedule ahead, traveling to Ohio State to play Cathedral (IN) on Saturday and hosting No. 5 St. Edward on Saturday, April 29.
Still, the ranking is an achievement to be celebrated. Congratulations to Head Coach Dan Arbeznik '00 and the Rugby Cats on an outstanding start to the season.