The New Mexico Highlands University rugby team, 867 miles and 14 hours away from home, battled to a championship in the seven-on-seven division in Wayne America on Saturday.

They call themselves the Vatos, which in Spanish essentially means “bad guy,” their motto “silent and violent.”

During the Championship game NMHU defeated the Wayne State men 20-17 in a hard fought matchup.

“We were both playing hard in a close game. We managed to open it up a little at the end to take the win,” head coach PJ Trujillo said.

They now advance to the Elite Eight in Philadelphia for a chance at the seven-on-seven national championship.

“It was a beautiful thing to watch them win in a tournament with so much talent,” Trujillo said.
NMHU looks to make a run at the championship, which will be nationally telecast.

“We have a good chance at winning, and we have speed and speed is very important during seven on seven play,” Trujillo said.

The Vatos were ranked in the top ten in the National Small College Rugby Organization within the fifteen-on-fifteen division with an overall record of 10-2.

They were eliminated from the NSCRO 15’s championship tournament by St. Edwards University in March in Austin, Texas.

The Vatos finished the 2012-2013 season strong as the regional NM/AZ Champions and in the National Men’s Division III Sweet Sixteen in Dallas last May. They lost to regional champions from Kansas City and San Francisco and ended the season ranked 15th of 238 teams in the nation.

Other accomplishments for the Vatos include USA Western Rugby Union Finalist in 2006 and 2010 and the 2012 High Desert Classic men’s championship.

Much like other rugby teams in town this past weekend, the funds came from their own pockets and fundraising.

Melody Lanes bowling alley in Wayne provided a free night stay to various rugby squads in the tournament to help with expenses. NMHU was one of them.

The NMHU rugby club competes for the love of the game. Recognition is often hard to come by and accomplishments overlooked for this club sport.

“They compete for the love of rugby. It is a common saying, Saturday is for rugby and that’s what we look forward to,” Trujillo said.

The Battle on the Nebraska Prairie Rugby tournament was a huge success as in previous years.

“They support rugby in Wayne, which is great. It was a beautifully run tournament, everything was in place. That is why we came here,” Trujillo said.

The team plans on returning to Wayne with the same intensity next year for the tournament.

“It is a great event, everything is smooth and we will be back,” Trujillo said.