By Andy Haines

For the Mirror

This Saturday, family members, from multiple generations of the Adams and Butler families of Altoona, will be in Culpeper, Va., watching cousins Colin Butler and Andrew Adams compete in the Sweet 16 of National Collegiate Rugby.

Colin, a junior at Susquehanna University and a former Bishop Guilfoyle football standout, will be leading the River Hawks against Duke University, in the initial game of the Division 3 bracket. If Susquehanna wins, it will face off against either Catholic University or Charleston College.

A win on Sunday moves the Riverhawks to Houston for the final four of NCR Rugby. Colin is the son of Jen and Matt Butler, who reside in Altoona and both graduated from BG.

Meanwhile, Colin’s cousin, Andrew, son of Pat and Amy (Butler) Adams, also Bishop Guilfoyle graduates, will be playing for Salisbury University against reigning national champion IUP in the Division 2 bracket. Andrew, a former Salisbury football player, is a centre for the Sharks.

Andrew only played rugby a few times before attending Salisbury.

“I played some touch rugby in middle school, but decided to focus on football,” Andrew said. “While I came to Salisbury to play football, I realized I needed a change of pace and joined the rugby team.”

Cousin Colin played both sports in high school, helping lead Bishop Guilfoyle to a state football title, while also leading Blair United Rugby as captain and eight-man his senior year.

Last weekend, Colin dominated play against Christendom College in a big 41-17 win, where he scored three tries (touchdowns) and was named man of the match.

Ironically, another one of Colin’s teammates from Blair United, Dylan Freet, is an IUP rugby player. Unfortunately, Freet will be unable to play due to an injury this weekend.

“Our family is thrilled to watch both the boys compete in a sport they love and a sport that our whole family is now a huge fan of,” Matt Butler said.

This fall season — high school rugby is played in the spring, college rugby played both in fall and spring — alumni from Blair United played both men and women’s rugby for Penn State, Robert Morris, IUP, Juniata and Frostburg.

Rugby in the region continues to expand — last season more than 80 kids from eight area schools played rugby for Blair United.

The spring season kicks off in February. All area students are welcome to join the team.

Andy Haines is the director of rugby for Blair United Rugby Club. For more information, contact him at blairunitedrugby@gmail.com.