Black-and-Blue Rugby Match Coming Friday

by Rugby Director Dave Wheelock

Right: Student and alumni teams after the students' 29-22 victory in 2004

All bets are off this Friday evening as the New Mexico Tech Rugby Football Club host their predecessors in the annual Black & Blue Alumni Classic. The Pygmies "A" team, idle last weekend, have compiled a 10 win, two loss record this fall, but the Pygmies' record against their "Ancestors" shows only one victory in recent years, a 29-22 comeback nail-biter in 2004. Before that bit of sweetness for the students, the Ancestors had won the preceding five reunion matches by an average score of 67 to 14.

The Black & Blue match returns as a popular standard of the annual 49ers celebration, New Mexico Tech's version of the college homecoming weekend. NMT Coach Dave Wheelock and a variety of guests will combine to provide on-field announcing. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m., Oct. 21 at the Tech Athletic Field, and admission is free.

-NMT-