The UW-Platteville Men’s and Women’s rugby teams hosted the 26th annual Mudfest rugby tournament on Saturday, April 1. The women’s blue team scored 3rd place after UW- Oshkosh’s team and UM-Mankato 1 team.

Each semester, the Men and Women’s teams alternate in team composition. In the spring, the Women’s team plays with seven players on the field and the Men’s team plays with 15. In the fall, the play styles are reversed.

The Women’s tournament, hosted in Miner’s Park, consisted of pooled gameplay and finalist matches. Twelve teams from eight schools competed. UW-Platteville, University of Chicago, University of Minnesota-Mankato and Loyola University each brought two teams. UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout, UW- Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse each brought one team.

UW-Platteville Blue began play at 8:00 a.m., scoring 29-0 against U-Chicago 2. They beat out UW- Stout, 39-0, and UM-Mankato 2, 24-0.

UW-Platteville Orange began play at around 9:30 a.m. against U-Chicago 1, losing 0-30. They played UW-La Crosse, 0-30, and UM-Mankato 1, 5-32.

UM-Mankato 1, UW-Oshkosh and UW-Platteville Blue competed in finalist rounds to determine first, second and third placings for the tournament. Play concluded around 3:30 p.m.

The long day of over 20 rugby matches came with a strong sense of camaraderie.

“Mudfest as a rugby tournament is insanely united,” Rowyn “Minnie” Whyte, the Social Secretary of the Women’s team and freshman rugger said. “Even though we are playing against one another at the tournament, the teams on every sideline cheer for both their own team and whoever is playing.”

“While loyalty to your home team is expected, the display of sportsmanship from the other teams in their attitudes and actions toward everyone else was astounding,” Whyte remarked. “Teams came together and mingled as if we weren’t laying heavy hits on each other hours before.”

The Women’s Mudfest was sponsored by Brothers on Second, the Underground, Pioneer Nutrition, Los Amigos and UW-Platteville Women’s Alumni.

The men’s tournament, hosted in Memorial Park, consisted of exhibition games played by the UW-Platteville Men’s team and UW-Platteville Men’s Alumni team, UW-Stout, Cedar Rapids, IA, Marquette and an unaffiliated, substitution roster team.

Too few teams had enough players to formally compete tournament-style. The Men’s Mudfest was sponsored by the Gym, the McGuire Family and the Yoose Family.