Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism.
The Dartmouth
July 5, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Rugby club clinches New England title

The Men's Rugby team wrapped up its defense of the New England Division I Championship with a Homecoming victory over Harvard on Saturday.

Along with the repeat title, the team improved to 6-0, extending a streak of 15 regular season wins stretching back to 1993 and guaranteeing themselves a first round home game in the Northeastern Rugby Union playoffs.

Harvard gave the Green the challenge that was expected from the traditional rivalry. With the torrential rain that soaked Homecoming weekend, Harvard couldn't have asked for conditions that would have been more in favor of them pulling off an upset.

Indeed, for most of the first half, the combination of a slippery ball and an extremely closely refereed game put Dartmouth under the gun, as dropped or bobbled balls and penalties dampened the Big Green's normally explosive offense and gave Harvard a nearly equal time of possession.

Accustomed to striking an early lead, Dartmouth had to slug it out for much of the first half.

Jon Stoel '96 scored the first try of game after the Big Green won a series of rucks to move the ball steadily into reach of the Harvard try-zone before passing it through the backline to the troll-like winger who dove in for the score.

But a conversion attempt from the corner, made more difficult by the conditions, fell short and gave Harvard a slight reprieve. The Crimson struck back when a penalty on the Dartmouth 10 meter turned a Dartmouth kicking opportunity into Harvard ball.

Despite the Big Green staving them off repeatedly, Harvard finally broke through the defense for a try which they converted for a 7-5 lead.

Dartmouth fought back, asserting themselves in Harvard's half, where the Big Green's pressure paid off in short penalty kick, which Patrick McLoughlin '96 chipped in to retake the lead, 8-7.

Galvanized by being back ahead, the ruggers increased their intensity and kept Harvard bottled in its end, for which they were awarded with a penalty five meters out when Harvard began to get desperate.

Scrumhalf Doug Burnaford '98 quickly seized the ball, and, before Harvard could react to being penalized, he had run it in for an additional five points.

But keeping the game interesting, McLoughlin missed the second conversion attempt, keeping Harvard within a converted try of the lead.

From that point, Torbjorn Dimblad '97 set out to ensure that the game be put out of Harvard's reach. Creating opportunities wherever possible, Dimblad scored two of three tries as Dartmouth would go on to score from the end of the half until the final whistle. His efforts set up the third Dartmouth score while when he broke free and passing to Peter Sisitsky '97.

With the final tally of 32-7, Dartmouth solidified its dominance of the New England league, proving their ability both to play under adverse conditions and pull themselves out of tight situations.

Next weekend, the ruggers will attempt close out their second straight undefeated season in their final game as they travel to winless University of Massachusetts.