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USD Rugbywon the Men's Red Cup title at the USA Rugby 7s Collegiate Championships (R7CC) on Sunday evening at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

The Toreros defeated Harvard University, 28-14, in the championship game to claim the national title for the first time in the program's 42-year history. As the final second ticked away, USD players celebrated together near the center of the pitch. Check out the celebration here.

"My brain is fried, but I can't stop smiling," says USD Rugby Head Coach Charlie Purdon. "We are very proud, but it's not like this was a fluke - we have worked extremely hard to get to this point as a program the past three years. Success happens after a lot of years of hard work."

USD reached the championship game by beating the University of Nebraska, 17-12, in the semifinal. They defeated Stanford University, 26-24, in a closely-contested quarterfinal game. The Toreros had punched their ticket to the second day of the tournament by going undefeated on Saturday, beating host Kennesaw State, 34-5; Iowa State, 24-19; and Harvard, 15-14.

"It feels a little unreal," says player Devin Hoovel, who was awarded "Man of the Tournament" for his tenacity and fearlessness in contact. "We knew within ourselves we could do it, but when you actually go out and do what you say you will, it's a magical feeling."

While proud of the individual honor, Hoovel is quick to deflect the attention to his teammates.

"Without the other six guys on the field, the guys on the bench supporting us, Coach Purdon, and manager Rai Cardin, it wouldn't be possible," he says. "I think anyone on the team could have won the award this weekend. It is an honor that my team felt I stood out during a national title run, but I also thank them for their effort in getting us there. [We] laid our bodies on the line and went through a physical gauntlet to reach this accomplishment."

USD Rugby was founded in 1980 by Johnny Purcell '82 (BBA) and Tim Klier and is currently a USA Rugby Division IAA team. This weekend, they were pitted them against established Division IA squads like Harvard and Stanford.

"We have to win these things so that we start getting seen as a program that's very ambitious and committed to facilitating the best environment for any college rugby player," Purdon says. "In order to build an identity for USD Rugby, we have to show credibility in our performances."

Looking back at this season, Purdon says it can be summed up in one word: care.

"My main focus was on fixing individual mindsets and behaviors in order to create an identity," he explains. "Our focus was more around character development and getting a group of players to care about one another and the club. If you get players that care, then they don't want to let each other down."

- Matthew Piechalak

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