Photo by Robert Beeland
By Robert Beeland
Staff Writer
On September 12, Sewanee’s own Purple Haze Rugby Club defeated Covenant’s ham-handed
squad by a margin so large that the score actually wasn’t kept past halftime. At that point, Sewanee’s
finest had amassed a 54-0 lead. The team, led by Captain Andrew Pfaff (C ’16), showed considerable skill
in tossing the egg as they bounced back from a lost against a fearsome Western Kentucky University
team the Saturday prior. Last Saturday’s match, however, ended far differently. Having rucked their way
to an insurmountable first-half score, the Purple Haze, in a tremendous act of generosity, even lent
several players to the struggling Covenant squad. Hunter Cotsoradis (C ’18), who graciously donned a
Covenant uniform towards the end of the match, scored the floundering team’s only try.
The estimated final score of the match was 82- 5, in favor of our beloved ruggers. The Hendrix
song-namesake crew made chucking the melon look easy. Sideline reporter Robert Beeland (C ’18)
captured the action of the match with both photos and interviews. “There’s nothin’ better than ruckin’
around with your boys on a Saturday afternoon. The ruckin’, the scrummin’, the melon chuckin’, it’s all
just pure ecstasy,” exclaimed William Pearson (C ’16) as he delicately sipped a sudsy sport-drink of the
barley variety on the sidelines. “Get out of here, Beeland,” Morgan Bernard (C ’16) offered playfully with
a chortle. Bernard— known for his jokes— rucked masterfully, tossing the egg with delicacy, precision,
and gusto.
Ultimately, the Purple Haze ended the game having dominated possession, only allowing
Covenant the ball after a score of their own. The Haze may have been purple, yet nothing was more
apparent than the pulverization of Covenant’s lowly rugby squad—seemingly better fit for a match of
croquet than one involving so many scrums.