DMU Rugby play to thousands at Welford Road

DMU’s men and women’s rugby teams had the opportunity of a lifetime when they took on the University of Leicester at the home of the famous Leicester Tigers, Welford Road.

The chance to play in front of thousands of fans at the home of one of the most successful domestic rugby sides in the country is certainly an experience that both sides won’t forget in any hurry.

Up first were the women’s team who were looking to avenge last year’s defeat at the hands of their rivals.

Despite a spirited effort, DMU were unable to avoid consecutive defeats and fell to a 45-3 loss.

The University of Leicester (UOL) proved too strong on the night and scored a total of eight tries to ensure they claimed the bragging rights on varsity night.

The men’s team went into their varsity match in fine-form and on the cusp of promotion in their respective league.

After a tight opening few minutes, it was DMU who took the lead when James Head’s well struck penalty sent the home crowd wild early on.

Their excitement was short lived though as UOL equalised almost immediately from a penalty.

DMU’s fortunes then worsened when moments later UOL scored the first try of the night to make the score 10-3.

Then, in almost identical fashion, UOL scored another two tries to increase their advantage to 22-3 and take a comfortable lead in at half-time.

DMU came out second half determined to get back into the game and got exactly the response they needed when Michael Agyei expertly touched down to reduce the deficit to 14 points.

The second half proved nowhere near as open as the first though, and despite DMU’s best efforts, they were unable to break-through a resilient UOL outfit.

The men’s side continued to test the UOL defence and could have so nearly earned themselves at least another try. It wasn’t to be, however, and the final score stood at 22-8 to UOL.

Despite the loss, the rugby varsity proved again to be a memorable occasion for both players and spectators at Welford Road.

Liam Coleman, a Journalism postgraduate student at DMU said: “The atmosphere at rugby varsity is second to none, and there is always such a buzz not just for those playing but to those watching as well.

“Varsity is the biggest event of the year and regardless of whether you are part of a society or not, everyone gets behind the DMU teams, varsity never lets me down.”