BYU’s Wyatt Parry wins Rudy Scholz Award as faculty rugby’s high male participant

PROVO — Wyatt Parry was enthusiastic about his position on the event, about his future, and in regards to the likelihood to convey BYU rugby again the place he is aware of the Cougars belong: competing for championships.

However largely, on this second, he was a bit of confused.

Final Saturday, the 5-foot-10 scrum half obtained a textual content message from his coach Steve St. Pierre that was merely in its message: You received.

Gained? Parry did not know what he received; the Cougars had simply come off a 48-31 loss to Saint Mary’s within the CRAA DIA males’s rugby nationwide semifinals — their second straight nationwide semifinal look — however he did not rely any of it as a win.

Parry is aggressive, and the type of participant who does’t take ethical victories. So whereas he’s eager to acknowledge the expansion and progress of five-time nationwide championships, he was additionally desirous to get to work for subsequent 12 months, to attempt to win a title for the membership for the primary time since 2015.

Nonetheless, about an hour later, Parry returned a name to St. Pierre. That is when his coach defined to him he had received: individually, that’s, the Rudy Scholz Award, given to the highest males’s collegiate rugby participant in the US by the Washington Athletic Membership of Seattle.

“Actually, I used to be simply tremendous grateful; it is the conclusion of plenty of exhausting work and plenty of effort,” Parry stated. “I used to be in a position to soak it in, and Steve advised me that they’d announce it Tuesday or Wednesday. I bought plenty of messages from coaches, family and friends (after the announcement). However I am simply tremendous grateful.”

The advertising and marketing main from St. George is not essentially the most imposing rugby participant to line up in a scrum. However in his backfield position, he was usually in command of an offense that scored 40 or extra factors 4 occasions throughout a 5-4 spring season in 2024, together with a 48-15 win over UCLA and 40-24 upset victory at Central Washington within the nationwide match.

Parry was fast to credit score his teammates for the Cougars’ offensive execution and success. However the scrum half’s position is important, too, as any religious rugby follower will let you know.

“My job final season was to be a type of quick guys who may rating, but additionally establishing different individuals to attain. I used to be type of the purpose guard,” he stated.

Successful the Scholz Award is promising, particularly from a bunch of finalists that included Dom Besag of Saint Mary’s, Evan Roode of Arkansas State and Eden van Heerden of Lindenwood.

The award given to the highest male collegiate rugby participant in the US is known as after Rudolph “Rudy” Scholz, who performed from Santa Clara and helped lead the U.S. males’s rugby workforce to Olympic gold in 1920 and 1924.

Scholz additionally served in each World Wars, volunteering for World Battle II when he was in his 40s, between a profitable profession as a lawyer and a rugby profession that lasted till his ultimate match at age 83.

However Parry has different targets in thoughts.

“I feel particular person awards are nice. They assist validate your self and your workforce,” he stated. “However on the identical time, I got here to BYU to win a nationwide championship. We have yet another crack at this.

“Subsequent 12 months, it isn’t about any particular person award in any respect,” he added. “It is all in regards to the workforce purpose, of getting a crack on the semifinals, then the finals, and strolling away with the dub.”

With that in thoughts, Parry has opted to return again for a fifth 12 months with the Cougars. He is not the one one who plans to “run it again,” he stated, however added that he made the choice to spend yet another 12 months at BYU to complete his faculty diploma and assist lead the Cougars round Christmas break — regardless of understanding that curiosity was on the market from a number of Main League Rugby groups to start out his skilled profession.

“I experience or die with the gamers I’ve performed with,” Parry stated. “We have been collectively for 4 years, and plenty of them are coming again for a fifth 12 months. I will ride-or-die with these guys till the top. Another 12 months, we’re all in and we will see what we are able to do.”