1983: Harvard Loses to Brown in Ivy Championship

The Harvard men's rugby team played what Co Captain Kevin Lennon called the worst day of rugby that we have played in the last three years as the ruggers lost to Brown 21-6 in the Ivy League championship game Saturday in Providence.

Sports Wrap: Rugby Published On Monday, May 02, 1983 in the Harvard Crimson The Bruins were in control from the onset of the contest. Relying on the strength of their backs and fly half to dictate tactics. Brown was able to move the ball freely. By the end of the first half the Bruins had posted a 15-0 lead against a Harvard team that was playing sloppily both offensively and defensively. "We planned to play on strengths of our forwards to win possession for our backs and to spoil their possession and give them bad ball. In both spheres we failed," said Harvard Coach Martyn Kingston. While the Bruins were in control on the field they did not clinch the game on the scoreboard until late in the second half Harvard had come out for the second stanza playing its best rugby of the day. After moving the ball well all half the Crimson finally narrowed the score to 15.6 when Keith Cooper scored a try in the corner with six minutes remaining. Brown rebounded, however, and scored a final try to increase their lead to 21-6 and insure a Brown victory. Had the Crimson won it would have been the ruggers' third consecutive Ivy title.