Temple men’s rugby club captain Gareth Jones described his squad’s remarkable success in last week’s national sweet sixteen competition as a “dream come true.” But neither his team nor their counterparts on the women’s club are ready to wake up just yet.

Both squads defeated a pair of opponents at the national sweet sixteen competition in Samford, Fla. last weekend to advance to the national final four. Those tournaments will be held the weekend of May 1 on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

The women’s club entered last weekend’s competition as the number one seed and 15th ranked team in the nation by Rugby Magazine. The squad caught a break when the 16th seed dropped from the tournament and forfeited to the Owls. The next day, they defeated Rutgers University 25-10 to qualify for the final competition.

The club is attempting to repeat the success of the 2004 season when the Owls brought home the national championship, but it must first face U.C. Santa Cruz in the semifinal round on Friday, April 30.

The men’s club entered the sweet sixteen seeded third and ranked fifth in the nation by Rugby Magazine. Despite their higher seed, the Owls were underdogs in their first match against fourth-ranked Texas Tech University, but scored the upset 22-12.

The Owls were again victorious the following day when they defeated Appalachian State University by a score of 18-5 to qualify for their first-ever final four. They enter the tournament as the top seed and will face the University of Massachusetts in the semifinal round.

Both men’s and women’s clubs are continuing exciting rides this post season after having qualified for the sweet sixteen competitions with last-second scores in regional games at the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union Championships.

As club sports, both squads compete at the D-II club level and operate similarly to student organizations. Officers are elected annually and are responsible for scheduling opponents and other duties. For information on the teams, contact Sarah Newton, sport club coordinator in Campus Recreation, at 215-204-7227.

—Kyle Bagenstose