It is not often that the Summit High School girls rugby team gets to play a game in Breckenridge during the spring. 

While the team does tend to travel to out-of-season tournaments, and hosts several home games throughout the fall, the accomplished rugby program rarely has a game in Summit County after the month of November.

As the school year enters its final week, Summit’s top varsity program hosted Rugby Colorado Academy for a match in Breckenridge on Saturday, May 31. 

Serving as a 15’s match — meaning 15 players take the field from each — the Tigers were able to field a roster full of seasoned veterans as well as burgeoning stars. 

With senior Olivia Lyman and junior Hailey Russer serving as captains for the 21-player team, Summit took to the field prepared for a battle.

After kicking off to Rugby Colorado Academy, the two teams clashed, scrumming up and down the field. As the Tigers gradually grew more comfortable with eight more players on the field than they are used to, the team drove closer to the try line. 

Lyman, who missed nearly the entirety of her senior fall season due to an injury, got within a few feet of scoring, but was stopped short by a Rugby Colorado Academy defender. After keeping Summit away from the try line, Rugby Colorado Academy kicked the ball deep down field in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure on its defense.

The clearing measure resulted in a brief spurt towards the try line by Rugby Colorado Academy, but the Summit defense did a good at clamping down and retaining possession of the ball. Soon enough, the Tigers got the score they were looking for, recording a try.

The try was just what Summit needed to jumpstart its offense, as moments later sophomore Jenavive Bradford found the ball in open space. Bradford sprinted down the field with Lyman trailing behind her. As Bradford began to be pulled down by a defender, she pitched the ball back to Lyman who scored a try for the team.

In the final moments of the first frame, freshman Avery Russer secured the ball along the sideline and then used her leg speed to carry her all the way to the other side of the field for the score.

Summit continued to roll in the second frame. From the opening kickoff, junior Elle Chabot powered her way down the field, stiff-arming and dragging defenders as she got closer to the try zone.

With the ball pinned deep on Summit’s side of the field, Chabot, sophomore Deirdre Dalzell and sophomore Siena Tofig all worked together to expand the team’s lead. Eventually, it was junior Teagan Barth who was able to find the try line. After breaking her foot early in the fall season, Barth returned to the rugby pitch and scored a try for the Tigers.

Moments later Barth found herself with the ball again, running down the field before passing the ball to Lyman for her second try of the game. After struggling to fight through the Summit defense, Rugby Colorado Academy recorded its first try of the game.

Summit led 29-5 entering the final frame.

Recording five tries and two successful conversions already, Summit kept its foot on the gas. Following a quick try from Rugby Colorado Academy, Summit returned to doing what it does best: sprinting down the field for a try.

Displaying why she is bound for Dartmouth in the fall, Lyman scored her third try of the game with a rollicking dash down the field.

Soon after the Lyman try and a conversion from Barth, Tofig ran towards the try line before passing the ball to Hailey Russer behind her.mThe perfectly timed toss was just enough to catch Rugby Colorado Academy out of position and resulted in a seventh Summit try.

Not wanting to see the game slip completely out of reach, Rugby Colorado Academy answered the call, scoring its second try of the quarter. The long try attempt winded Summit momentarily, but soon the team found its footing again. Jumping on a free ball, Hailey Russer sprinted close to 100 yards down the field for the try. 

The Russer try was enough to secure Summit the win, defeating Rugby Colorado Academy, 48-15.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Summit Girls Rugby Team (@summit_girls_rugby)

“I have played 15’s once before this, and just playing with this team, we all picked it up so fast,” Hailey Russer said. “We got our shape together and everyone did their job and that just created our success going into the game. I just feel so proud of all my teammates. The last two weeks, I just watched how hard every single one of them has worked.”

Head coach Karl Barth was especially pleased with the team’s performance and its ability to adapt to a new playing format.

“It was fun,” Barth said. “Beautiful day obviously. It’s great because it was good competition. For us, just getting to play 15’s was awesome. … I think the thing I really liked was the ability to adapt to it and go, ‘okay, that is a little different.'”

Summit will face Rugby Colorado Academy next week in Denver as part of the Spring 15’s Challenge. The team will then begin prepping for the high school fall rugby season.