Moving up from National Small College rugby to D1A was supposed to be a massive jump for Tufts, but for the Jumbos, it wasn’t so big.

Tufts finished with a solid 2-3 record in the Liberty Conference New England Division, and now is looking to end its fall campaign on a high note against Delaware at the Liberty Conference Challenge in Fairfield, CT, this Saturday.

Watch the 2017 Liberty Conference Challenge LIVE on FloRugby

“The move up to D1 for Tufts has been both challenging and rewarding,” captain Jacob Garrell said. “Team leadership decided last spring that the move up would be a great way to put Tufts rugby on the map and continue to challenge the squad.”

The Jumbos opened the season with a loss to UConn, which wasn’t such a terrible thing, especially considering UConn ended up 4-1. Tufts followed up its early setback with back-to-back conference wins over Fairfield (34-31) and Rhode Island (24-18).

“We are still a very proud team and have enjoyed every game, despite losing a few more matches than we had hoped,” Garrell said. “We have learned that playing at this level requires us to play 80 minutes of rugby and that no team will give up regardless of score. Furthermore, we have learned that we need to continue to recruit players to meet the demands of playing in such a competitive division.”

Garrell said the Tufts squad continued to improve despite some midseason injuries. While the Jumbos are wrapping up their fall season this weekend, really, it’s just the start of a new era for the Tufts program.

“The players are very excited,” Garrell said. “The game matters for us in order to finish with a .500 record, and every player has bought in. With the bye week we have been able to get players healthy and work on being in the proper condition for a tough match against Delaware.

"Overall, I am extremely proud to have been a member of this team and been a part of this jump to D1. I am confident that the culture I have seen grow these past four years will continue to produce great squads of rugby players who will want to build on the foundation.”

Tufts kicks off against Delaware at 9 AM ET on Saturday live on FloRugby.

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