The Malibu Rugby Club ventured out into the heat and the Valley again last weekend for the Eagle Rock Sevens Rugby Tournament, which took place in Encino. Unfortunately, the team was a little short handed to deal with the heat and the conditions.
The first game started off poorly, with the opposition scoring on the first try. But Malibu stuck to its discipline and climbed back to take a 12-10 with 30 seconds to go in the game. Unfortunately, Malibu could not hold out its opponent’s final offensive drive and lost the game 15-12 at the final whistle.
The second game played within an hour of the first was a somewhat one-sided affair. Malibu was in control, coming out eventual winners, 31-0. The final game of the preliminary rounds was a tight contest with the action seesawing from one end of the field to the other. Malibu was able to apply pressure and go up 5-0 at the half. However, the heat finally took its toll on Malibu and the game was drawn 5-5 at the end.
Malibu’s results were sufficient to get the team into the playoffs, where it was beaten by a better team on the day. Again, Malibu, a first-year squad, showed that it was able to compete with teams that have played together for years.
The next tournament is in Las Vegas on Aug. 3 and 4.
While Malibu Rugby is competing in various tournaments and continuing to train, it is also preparing for full competition in January. It will compete in the Southern California Rugby Division III. Those interested in joining the club should go to www.maliburugbyclub.com for more information.