COLUMBUS, Ohio - Davenport University Men's Rugby traveled to Ohio State to be a part of the Gavin Gill Memorial 7's Tournament on Saturday, April 22. Just two weeks after the end of the Panthers 15's season they had to get to work in preparation for the move to 7's rugby. Not only is there a difference in the number of individuals on the field, but the flow of the game changes drastically as well. This means typically more focus on speed and skill over endurance and strength. Fourteen minute games instead of eighty, with usually more than one game in one day, hence the tournament format. Although they had little time for preparation, that did not stop them from showing up ready to bring home a trophy. Davenport's tackles were ones for the books, with top tacklers for the day being Sam Evans, Sean Nolan, and Colin Turner. Davenport also utilized their speed on the outside and skill players in the middle, creating the unbeatable balance that allowed them to dominate the other teams. Top try scorers for the day include Christiaan Van der Westhuizen, Ethan Howard, and Alessandro Mares. Final scores for each match are located below.

Gavin Gill Memorial Tournament Summary
Game 1: Davenport v. Ohio State B (35-0) WIN
Game 2: Davenport v. IUPUI (35-7) WIN
Game 3: Davenport v. Illinois (35-5) WIN
Game 4: Davenport v. Penn State (26-17) WIN
Game 5: Davenport v. Ohio State (33-21) WIN

The Davenport men's rugby team will complete their 7's season in Houston, Texas on May 6-7 at Sabercats Stadium. This will be the CRAA 7's national championship tournament, and more information will be posted on the website as it gets closer to the event.