Team first from state to win Northwest title
BY GAIL WOOD | The Olympian
Chris Cousins wasn’t sure what to expect when he took over as player-coach for the Budd Bay RFC Buffaloes, an Olympia men’s rugby club.
But Budd Bay RFC did the unexpected by winning the Northwest Rugby Division III championship, becoming the first Washington team to win the title and advance to nationals.
The Buffaloes, with players ranging in age from 19 to 46, fly today to the national tournament in Austin, Texas. They’re seeded 14th after finishing 11-2-1 for the season and will play Beaumont RFC, Southern California’s No. 1 seeded team, at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“I never expected this to happen,” said Cousins, who became player-coach a year ago. “We were in transition. Our coach stepped down last year. I stepped in, and being a player and going into a coach’s role … it was a hard dynamic to go from peer to coach.”
If Budd Bay RFC wins Saturday in the 16-team tournament, it will advance to the round of eight and play on Sunday. If the Buffaloes lose, they’ll play a consolation game Sunday.
“It’s the first time a Washington team has done this,” Cousins said. “There’s never been a team from Washington that’s made it to the national tournament for Division III.”
Budd Bay has been a regional runner-up to Oregon teams several times in the past decade. The team was formed in 1998.
“From the start, we laid it out on the table,” Cousins said. “They decided they wanted me to coach. To be honest, I don’t know how we did it. But they put up with me running them to death at practice.”
Bud Bay RFC will be the only team at nationals with a playercoach.
“With our level of talent and the experience we have, it was the best fit,” Cousins said.
Cousins, the team’s scrum half, leads the Buffaloes in scoring. He has played rugby for 17 years and has played on an Army national championship team.
Other key players include Dan Santana, second-leading scorer Mike Radasa, flanker Cody Smith, eighth man Alex Queirolo and hooker Zach Dona. The team has 36 players making the trip.
If the Buffaloes win games both Saturday and Sunday, they’ll be among the final four teams to play the next weekend in Boulder, Colo.
“Nobody expected anything from us. We’re going to surprise some people,” Cousins said.
Budd Bay RFC beat Eugene, Ore., 51-10, in the Northwest championship game last month to earn the trip to nationals.
Gail Wood: 360-754-5443
gwood@theolympian.com
