Sports have an uncanny ability to bring people together. People from all walks of life, whose paths never would have crossed otherwise form deep friendships. The bond an athlete has with his or her teammates is like no other. It’s familial in a sense, but there’s a certain aspect of that love that gets amplified when a person sees another as a true equal.
Even when tragedy strikes, these friendships strengthen and create something beautiful.
Tragedy unfortunately struck the Colorado Mesa University (CMU) men’s rugby team in 2021 when one of the players, Andy Smith, revealed to the team that he had brain cancer.
“Andy began playing rugby my freshman year here, so in 2020, but he fell in love with it immediately,” said senior captain Tyler Huddleston.
After his diagnosis, however, Andy had to quit. But in his short time on the team, he made an impact that would be remembered years later.
As Andy’s sickness dragged on, the men’s rugby team started planning a tournament to honor what he meant to the program. Andy sadly passed away in early March, just a few weeks before the tournament took place on March 30. Andy’s passing changed the meaning and importance of this tournament for the team.
It was now the Andy Smith Memorial Tournament. The team aimed to bring as many teams and fans to this tournament as possible, a goal they very much achieved.
“It took about a month and a half to plan this tournament,” said senior co-team captain Liam Murphy. “I was very happy with the turnout.”
There were teams from eight schools present, and enough fans to fill the bleachers at the CMU rugby pitch and spill out onto the hill on either side.
Before the start of gameplay, Murphy spoke briefly to the crowd and thanked them and the visiting schools for coming, then led everyone in a moment of silence in Andy’s honor. Standing at the center of the pitch, the captains from each team were present, as well as Andy’s family, understandably teary-eyed.
The Mavericks came out fired up by a shared sense of grief and anticipation, a combination that quickly turned out to be difficult for opponents to deal with. In the tournament’s first game, the team came out and handled business against the University of Northern Colorado, winning 27-0.
But that was only the beginning.
A couple games passed, and CMU ran back out on the field for their second round robin match of the day, this time against Idaho State. The Mavs recorded another shutout in this match, but their offense exploded as they cruised to an easy 51-0 victory to conclude their round robin play.
After a short lunch break, the single elimination matches began. The Mavs came out looking strong against a tougher opponent in Weber State University in their third match of the day, winning by a score of 22-10. The energy level of the team was still very obviously elevated through this match, but they ended up falling short in the championship match against a very skilled Montana State University team.
The team was understandably overcome with emotions after their crushing loss. Tears were shed on the pitch as the team embraced each other as they began to grieve.
CMU may have lost the tournament, but the day was a success nonetheless.
That team put so much work into setting this tournament up, and it ran incredibly smoothly. The team got the event sponsored by Jimmy Johns, who set up a booth selling mini sandwiches and other items throughout the day. The GJ Fusion food truck was also parked in the parking lot nearby. The Theta Xi fraternity helped organize and fundraise, selling Andy Smith memorial t-shirts throughout the day as well.
“There were so many people involved in the planning process, and it was a great all-around effort to make this all happen,” said Murphy.
So regardless of the end result of the tournament, the day should be remembered as an achievement for the CMU men’s rugby team. And not only was the event a success on an operational front, but it allowed the players (especially the few left who knew Andy) an avenue to express their grief around their teammates, the only ones who could truly understand the gravity of Andy’s passing.
“It was a bit of a cathartic experience, for sure,” said Huddleston. “But, it was nice to be able to have Andy’s family out and share the experience with them while we were able to honor him by playing the sport that he loved.”
