Following a successful season last year, the Liberty rugby team is poised for an even better season. However, while they have a good chance of achieving their goal of going to the state championships, the team will not be allowed to go to Nationals.

Due to several team members from New Zealand, the team is not eligible to qualify for nationals according to the rule book. Team members are still dedicated to having a great season despite this setback.

“It’s really disappointing not even having a chance to go,” said senior Matt Magard.

The team won their first three games, all by at least 30 points. At the very end of the following game against Seattle, the Liberty players had a chance to win or lose by one point in a final kick. They lost, but made up for this lapse in momentum in the next game.

“We have a tendency to play to other teams’ levels. We didn’t really expect much from Seattle, so we just weren’t prepared,” said senior Jeremy Dodd.

In the following game, the team won 56-10 – reinstating their winning record. While the team may not be able to reach Nationals, there are still promising games in the future for these Liberty players.