American rugby has long been called a "sleeping giant."
But compared to South African rugby, the United States is still the David to South African's Goliath.
Representing American rugby halfway across the world, the Saint Ignatius varsity rugby squad battled hard, but the Wildcats met their match in Outeniqua (from the Republic of South Africa).
The Rugby Cats fell to the talented team, 91-0, in the Wildcats' first match of the Worlds School Festival at Paarl Boys School outside of Cape Town, South Africa.
Outeniqua showcased its outstanding talent from the opening kick. The team burst out to a few early tries to steal a 15-0 lead by the time the match hit the 10-minute mark.
Outeniqua continued to show off its incredible speed on the edges and elusiveness in the middle as the first half continued. Outeniqua enjoyed a clear advantage in terms of size and speed over their American counterparts.
By the 27-minute stamp of the half, Outeniqua had built a 41-0 lead thanks to amazing play from its captain, Aylan Schabort, and several other speedy players.
At the break, the Wildcats trailed Outeniqua, 53-0, thanks to 10 tries by Outeniqua.
"There is so much we can learn from this match," said head coach Dan Arbeznik '00 at halftime. "This is a level of skill and athleticism we haven't been exposed to. We'll grow from this."
Outeniqua continued to use quick passes and exploit narrow openings in the Wildcats' defense for big gains and impressive tries. Outeniqua utilized several slick passes just as the Rugby Cats were about to make tackles, allowing them to convert on extra tries.
The heat proved to be a factor throughout the game, too. While the Wildcats have been training in 30-40° weather, the weather in Paarl was 83° and sunny. That large difference certainly played at least a factor in the Wildcats' struggles. But even still, the Rugby Cats competed hard and fought until the very end, showing heart and fire in the face of steep competition.
By the final whistle, Outeniqua added a few more tries to cap off a 91-0 win over the Wildcats. The visitors took the ball deep into Outeniqua territory, but ran out of time to record a try.
Despite the loss, however, the Saint Ignatius rugby program has enjoyed its time abroad, with a stop in Istanbul and a wonderful Easter Mass in Cape Town. The Wildcats also received on-field training from the Italian selects on Tuesday morning before the game in the afternoon.
"While we've seen the worst of South African hospitality on the pitch, we've seen the best of South African hospitality off of it," Arbeznik said. "Our boys will likely never play in a venue more beautiful and scenic than this one."
The Wildcats will have more time for training in the next couple of days before facing off with Oakdale (RSA) on Friday at 1 pm EST.