By Coach Phil Beck

The Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) Lions hosted their inaugural 7s tournament that they hope to be an annual affair. A host of excellent sides descended on Hammond, Louisiana to test their abilities.  Memphis, with 32 on the roster took two sides to the competition.  The depth of our program is impressive.

Memphis started the day against The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL).  The Tigers got off to a slow start with a half time the score of 12-5 Tigers. The second half the Tigers finally caught their stride and finished the game 33-10.

Our 2nd game pitted Memphis A vs Memphis B. Our Killer B side kept the A’s in check limiting the half time to a 12-7 score. However, with a few personnel changes and a tactical adjustment, we finished at 40-7.  We are very proud of our program and the significant progress both A and B players have made.

Now in the winners bracket, we faced the hosts, SLU. As expected, it was a very hard game and Tigers first try eventually occurred 3 min into the game.  Nick scoring under the posts and Conor chipped in, taking us to half time at 7-0. The 2nd half saw Tully power over for our 2nd try and Conor converted, bringing the final score to 14-5.

The final we faced Louisiana State University (LSU) a D1 side. Tigers has set their game plan, stuck to it and from the moment the whistle went, never looked back. The Tigers played their best Rugby on the weekend… preventing LSU from get in the game.  Half time the Tigers were flying at 40-0. The Tigers kept the pedal down through the 2nd half, racking up points to finish the match with 10 tries and 9 conversions and landing us a 68-0 victory.

Coaches were very pleased with the performance of the team.  Standing out were Matt Ravi as Man of the Tournament.  In the finals match, Connor was steady at the foot with nine conversions. Sehrab scored three tries with Harry and Nick scoring two each. 

Also… difficult to put into words, but through the tourney Memphis were light hearted and singing songs. We had a bit of a chant when we would score. In the final on the opposite side of the field the hosts started chanting our song, which was fantastic, as they were enjoying how we played and showed us complete support

Look at the pics below with the opposition. We play hard and tough, but respectful… and we gain the respect and admiration of those with which we compete.  We are solid in competition, but making friends along the way. We are proud of the way our players exemplify the true spirit of Rugby. Play hard, win respect and make friends. Well done lads!   

Tiger Rugby Gear is available at our online store at Tytan Rugby https://tytanrugby.com/collections/memphis-rugby

You can financially support the Tigers by donating at this link. We need your help and any dollars you give move the Tigers toward a win. Thanks for anything you can do.

Do you have a Kroger Card? If so, Kroger will give the Tigers money if you sign up and tell the to do so. Here is how you can get free money for the Tigers. Please link your card today. If you don’s have a Kroger card you can get one from for free from any Kroger store.

Kroger just gave the Memphis Tiger Rugby Team $332.89.  They gave us money each quarter for free because some of you have connected your Kroger Plus card to the Tigers… and when you do… we get some money.  There is no loss for you and only gain for the Tigers.

So, please do the Tigers a big favor.  Connect your Kroger card to the Tigers today and begin funding the Tigers with no cost to you. 

The instructions are easy to follow here. 

Now that you have done that?  Get everyone on you know to do the same thing.  Help us expand this gift as much as possible. 

Thanks for your help! 

Tiger Rugby Gear is available at our online store at Tytan Rugby https://tytanrugby.com/collections/memphis-rugby

You can financially support the Tigers by donating at this link. We need your help and any dollars you give move the Tigers toward a win. Thanks for anything you can do.

By Coach Phil Beck.

February 18, 2023, Tuscaloosa AL – The Tigers started their spring 7s series with a tournament at the University of Alabama. This was the third annual Dixie 7s, which seems to be growing in prestige each year. Top teams from the area showed up to the test.

Memphis got off to a relatively easy start in pool play against Alabama B where we were 19-0 at the half. We picked up during the 2nd half to make the final 45-0. Tries from Sehrab, Jason, Conor, Joaquin, Nick and Tyler (2). Conversions were made by Coner (4) and Jason (1).

Our 2nd game against UAB was well played, winning 36-0. Tries from Drew (2) Conor, Sehrab (2), and Nick. Coner converted 3 times.

Our final game of the pool was against a fast and experienced KSU side, but our players executed solid sevens and were able to sweep KSU 38-0. Tries from Nick (2), Conor (2) Matt Ravi (1) and Conor converted 4.

We entered the semi final facing our fierce conference rivals, Auburn, who are always a difficult side to beat. While our sevens play was not the best, as Auburn did unsettle our pattern of play, we managed to see Auburn in our rear view, winning 14-5. These were the first points scored against us for the day.

The final match pitted Memphis against Georgia (a D1AA side) which is what we had hoped for. We needed to test ourselves against some difficult opposition. Both sides played great Rugby and at half time the score was 7-5, Georgia.

In the 2nd half a few costly defensive mistakes allowed Georgia to dot 3 tries handing them the win (26-5).

Conor was named Man of the Tournament for his excellent ball handling, vision of the field and conversions. He is excellent at setting up our speedsters.

As our first tourney this year, this was a great start for the Tigers. We will now work on key areas to improve our game and be better in the next tournament. We have identified areas of needed growth and we will work to build a stronger team.

Tiger Rugby Gear is available at our online store at Tytan Rugby https://tytanrugby.com/collections/memphis-rugby

You can financially support the Tigers by donating at this link. We need your help and any dollars you give move the Tigers toward a win. Thanks for anything you can do.

Do you have a Kroger Card? If so, Kroger will give the Tigers money if you sign up and tell the to do so. Here is how you can get free money for the Tigers. Please link your card today. If you don’s have a Kroger card you can get one from for free from any Kroger store.

Auburn University – 10/15/2022 – The Memphis Tigers had a tough day at Auburn.  With seven starting freshmen, the coaching staff wondered how the Tigers would fair. This would be the first real test of the team. 

For 20 minutes, the Tigers stayed mainly within the Auburn 35 meters… knocking on the door… but to no avail.  Mistakes carrying the ball and lack of runner support were the problems. These were the same problems that were experienced in the Mississippi State match, but State did not capitalize on the errors. Auburn saw the mistakes and took advantage. 

In the second half of the first period Auburn took two scores and the confidence of the Tigers was shaken.  The dam broke in the second half, again following Tiger support errors and the score ran away.  The Tigers were able to get a score late in the second half that took the goose egg off of the scoreboard. 

The Auburn pack outweighed the Tigers by 300lbs but the Tigers demonstrated excellent form and were solid. The front of the lineout was not working but the back worked well, so the Tiger backline had plenty of clean ball to work with.  The mistakes seemed to happen on phase play with the Auburn players stealing our ball at the tackle. 

Final score – Auburn, 55-7.

“The score was not a reflection of the way our boys played today”, said Coach Hill.  “I believe they now know they have to tighten up support for the runner and stop making mistakes if we wish to compete at a higher level.”

“The loss hurt, but there were lots of positives about our play today, remarked Coach Beck, backs coach for the Tigers. “We can run with anyone in our league, but we need to heed our lessons.”

Goal now for the Tigers is to build the program and earn an opportunity for a rematch against Auburn at the conference playoffs in 6 weeks.

Man of the Match was Sehrab Baga. He is a beast and dominates the pitch.    

The Tigers take on Georgia Tech at home on 10/22.  We look forward to having the Tiger Nation out to support this home match.    

Tiger Rugby Gear is available at our online store at Tytan Rugby https://tytanrugby.com/collections/memphis-rugby

You can financially support the Tigers by donating at this link. We need your help and any dollars you give move the Tigers toward a win. Thanks for anything you can do.

Do you have a Kroger Card? If so, Kroger will give the Tigers money if you sign up and tell the to do so. Here is how you can get free money for the Tigers. Please link your card today. If you don’s have a Kroger card you can get one from for free from any Kroger store.

The Memphis Tigers ventured to Starkville, Mississippi on Sunday for a conference match with the Bulldogs.  The match was on Sunday due to the fact that the Bulldogs cannot play at home on football game day. 

The Tigers knew going in that they were much stronger.  We have been carrying 40+ players in practice and the Bulldogs are rostering 18.  However, Coach Dave Hill and Phil Beck worked hard to keep the Tigers focused on execution, even when facing a weaker side. No time to get sloppy.

Well, the Tigers took the lead early and did not look back. The Coaches were able to get the subs in early and give them a nice run and the momentum continued. The subs wanted to demonstrate that they could play well too. 

“We were a bit rusty and sloppy for a while but we settled down to play rugby once we got a few hits in, said Seherab Bagha, captain of the side.  We’ve had too much time off and we were ready to get down to business.”

Connor Dempsey was the man of the match due to his excellent control of the match at 10 and his conversions.  He is amazing at knowing what plays will be productive.

Final score was the Tigers on top 43-5 with 7 tries and 4 conversions in the match. 

The Tigers are off next weekend for Fall break and then we travel to Auburn to face our conference rivals. Auburn is the only team that has given us difficulty recently and we cannot take them for granted. They are well coached and they want to win the conference.

Thanks for your financial support of the Tigers. We have uniforms and a travel budget only because of you and your regular financial support.   

Due to transportation problems, the Tigers trip to Columbus, GA to take on Valdosta State has been rescheduled from this weekend to November 5^th and moved to Birmingham, AL. 

Valdosta State is new to the SCRC and so at this time they are an unknown entity. Coaching staff was hoping to play Valdosta State early in our season, but this change gives the Tigers more time to evaluate how Valdosta State competes in the SCRC Division II. 

The lads gathered one more time to remember the successes of a fabulous year. It was a season of great accomplishment.

1st place at UAB 7s,
2nd place at Bluff City 7s,
First place in the SIRC Conference D2 and
Runner Up at the USA Rugby National D2 Championships.

The team was acknowledged with a Conference and national championship T shirt. They also were presented with medals for 1st place in the conference and as runners up in at the National Championships.

The following players received awards:

Most Valuable Player – Virgil Pryor
Most improved – Erron Hubbard
Most Versatile Player – Sehrab Bagha
Captain Award – Joshua Scott
Leadership Award – Mathuran Ravishankar

Josh Scott and Nicholas Nolen received crystal awards signifying their leadership as Team officers.

Tiger Grads this year included Joshua Scott, Liam Scott, Virgil Pryor and Drew DeSanctis and were provided the coveted Rugby Cup Awards.

Coach Beck and Coach Hill thanked all of the boys for a job well done and explained that their efforts have laid the groundwork for many more years of success. Well done lads!

Photos to enjoy!

Tiger Rugby Gear is available at our online store at Tytan Rugby https://tytanrugby.com/collections/memphis-rugby

You can financially support the Tigers by donating at this link. We need your help and any dollars you give move the Tigers toward a win. Thanks for anything you can do.

Do you have a Kroger Card? If so, Kroger will give the Tigers money if you sign up and tell the to do so. Here is how you can get free money for the Tigers. Please link your card today. If you don’s have a Kroger card you can get one from for free from any Kroger store.