Vail Rugby Club wins big in Grand Junction
Grace Hovde/Courtesy photo
One week after winning its opening two scrimmages of the 2026 season, the Vail Rugby Club rolled past the Western Slope Misfits 91-0 last Saturday in Grand Junction.
“I was mostly happy with today’s performance,” coach Joe Lippert stated in an email to the Vail Daily. “The guys executed relatively well on a brutally hot day. Big thanks to our hosts! They are a young, growing club and we want to help them play as much rugby as possible.”
Jensen Rawlings opened the scoring with the first of three first-half tries two minutes into the game. Dami Odunuga added three points on a penalty kick five minutes later and Vail was off and running from there. Rawlings, Odunuga and Gaines all scored in the final eight minutes of the half. Rawlings and Odunuga were named men of the match.
“Jensen and Dami were both electric in our backline. Jensen scored a hat trick in the first half in his first rugby match in three years. Dami was his usual playmaking self, finished a couple tries, and continues to be excellent with his kicking,” Lippert said. “Jay Gaines continues to bring the physicality in the forward pack. I thought he and Wyatt Young, in particular, played really good rugby.”
Odunuga finished with two tries and went 7-for-9 on penalty kicks. Louis Marshall-Arrandale also drilled a pair of conversions in the win.
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Vail is scheduled to kick off its Mountain League campaign this Saturday at home against Steamboat Springs.
