1949: Harvard Ruggers Return From Bermuda With 1-3-1 Record

The team opened rugby week in Hamilton against the British Army's "Barbarians," whom they shellacked, 16 to 3. Tuesday the team tied the Bermuda Athletic Association, 3 to 3, and Thursday they tied Yale by the same score.

Final Game Scoreless Tie With Princeton; Title Goes to Yale

The Harvard Rugby Club played to a 0-0 tie with Princeton at Bermuda last Sunday morning and thereby closed out its five game series in Bermuda's rugby week with a record of one win, three ties, and a single loss. In Big Three competition, Yale finally won the title with a win and a tie (with Harvard) while the Crimson came second with a pair of ties.

Creamed by the Navy

Saturday the cream of an estimated 10,000 sailors walloped the team, the Royal Navy all-stars winning, 15 to 0. In the second half of that day's double header Yale beat Princeton, 6 to 0.

Consequently, the Big Three title depended on the outcome of the Sunday Harvard-Princeton game.

Exhausted by the brilliant play of the Royal Navy team the previous day and by manifold strength-sapping social obligations, the Rugby Club was unable to summon enough power on Palm Sunday morning to gain the needed win over an admittedly weaker Tiger squad.

After a slight five hour delay at the Bermuda airport, the team left Bermuda at 11 p.m. Sunday night and arrived home about 4:30 a.m. yesterday. The players will take a one day moratorium before resuming practice Wednesday for the international battle with McGill Saturday.

By Donald Carswell, The Harvard Crimson