Hot Ruggers to Host Terriers

There was cause for celebration last weekend for the Harvard Rugby Football Club.

The Crimson's 27-0 blanking of Tufts left Harvard in sole possession of the Metro Region division lead and qualified the Crimson for the New England Championships, to be held in two weeks.

But for Martyn Kingston, the club's volunteer coach, merely gaining a berth in the championships was not enough of a reason to begin celebrating.

"It's a bid, but not the bid," Kingston said. "We want to button down the lid this weekend."

While the Crimson (4-1 overall, 4-0 Metro Region) is one of five teams already guaranteed a spot in the eight-team New England Championships, a victory over Boston University tomorrow at Soldiers Field could also give Harvard the top seed in the tournament and the Metro title outright.

"If they beat us," Kingston said. "we'll be tied and they could get the better bid by virtue of beating us. It's still a pressure game."

The Terriers will be fighting for survival. A loss means it would end up tied with either Tufts or Northeastern for the runner-up spot.

"B.U. is definitely fired-up," Kingston said. "They have a lot to gain by beating us."

Besides Harvard, Southern Connecticut, Dartmouth, UConn and UMass are the other four squads to qualify. The Crimson--the number-one ranked team in the New England area--could garner the top seed in the tournament.

While Harvard will be trying to secure its stranglehold on the New England area, the Radcliffe rugby club will be trying to prove it was the best team in the Mayor's Cup tournament held two weeks ago.

Slipped 'n Whipped

The Black and White finished third behind Williams and tourney champ Boston College. Radcliffe did not get a chance at the Eagles because it slipped up and fell to Williams on a muddy field in overtime, 4-0.

"We're looking to invalidate B.C.'s victory in the tournament," Co-Captain Eliza Schwarz said.

Radcliffe is coming off its third consecutive victory over arch-rival Dartmouth, 4-0. It was the second time in two weeks that the Black and White Radcliffe had defeated the Big Green.