Buffaloes Win PNW Championships! (4-5-09)

Budd Bay's Senior Men - The Buffaloes - take first place in the 1st Annual PNRFU Divisional Playoff in a 51-10 victory over the Gentlemen from Eugene, OR.

Budd Bay RFC was proud to host the DIII Playoff's this weekend with all six regional teams competing for a berth at the National Sweet 16's in Austin, Texas. On Saturday, the #2 Buffaloes competed against #3 Oregon Sports Union (ORSU) Jesters in a hotly contested match. After the full 80 minutes, the match was tied, 26-26. About 11 minutes into the 20-minute overime, Trevor Anderson kicked a penalty for the game-winning points, beating ORSU 29-26 and putting the Buffaloes into the Championship match on Sunday versus Eugene OR. Chris Cousins scored three tries on Saturday, adding to the victory.

On Sunday, the Buffalo pack dominated Eugene RFC and spun the ball wide to the backs for a flurry of tries. The game ended with a try from Dan Santana, one of the club's founders, centering the ball under the posts for a victory of 51-10.

This win signifies the first national DIII berth earned by a senior men's rugby team from Washington State and the first playoff victory by Budd Bay in the 10 years our club has been competing regionally. The Buffaloes now join the Barbarians (PNW Champions 2001 & 2006) and the Steelheads (PNW Champions 2004 & 2006) as Budd Bay RFC championship-winning teams.

The Buffaloes look forward to the National Champrionships, Sweet 16's, as the #14 team in the nation. The Austin, TX tournament will be a two-day tournament held on May 16 & 17. The winners from that round will head to Colorado for the Final Four.