Saint Joseph School beats International College in rugby tournament at 32-0

Rami Panayoti
Staff Writer

The Saint Joseph School Saints (or simply 'Saints') and the International College Cougars (or 'Cougars') competed with one another in a rugby match that took place on Friday, February 25 at the AUB Green Field. The end result was a dominant defeat of 32-0 in favor of the Saints as the game ended.

  As the two teams reached AUB, each dragged behind them their own legion of supporters, with that of the Saints being overwhelmingly huge. Amidst rainy weather, the enthusiasm was palpable from all around the stadium. The sportsmanship present was also a major factor in beautifying the game, in addition to the constant cheers by the supporters of both teams.

  The game began at around 6 pm and the Rugby brutes started moving. The Saints scored the first touchdown not too long into the match, giving them the upper hand directly from the beginning. As the game progressed, the weather turned worse and worse as did the Cougars' spirits, though the Saints kept penetrating their defences and increasing their scores.

  The issue was the same over the second half, with the Saints keeping true to their name. Yet again the scores kept increasing in their favor, with the Cougars yet to score their first goal. Thus, the game ended with the Saints victorious, and a final score of 32-0 to end a legendary game.

  In a short interview conducted with Middle East and North Africa Regional Director of the Rugby League European Federation Mr. Remond Safi who was watching the match, Safi showed a high level of interest in the game saying that what we see in front of us “is the future.” Mr. Safi then continued by stating that in the two teams, and more specifically the Saints, there was “A lot of potential, and a lot of talent” and generally described it as a great sight to perceive. He then proceeded to comment on  why Rugby was a powerful and beautiful game saying, “It is a game non-religious, non-political in any way, and looking at its fans, they come to support the teams, not what is behind them.”

  Saints player Ziad Yachoui stated “I really believe that our team has proven today, from its first game, that we are tougher than many others and will continue to crush our opponents with the same vigor we exhibited tonight.”