Schedule and Results
30-Oct-2021 - Away - NARA (W 54-10), U. of Colorado - Win 29 to 15
6-Nov-2021 - Home - Berkeley Men's Club C Team - Win 45 to 15
13-Nov-2021 - Home - Nor Cal Grizzly All Stars - Win 19 to 12
13-Nov-2021 - Home - SMC B-Side vs Olde Gaels Win 54 to 33
20-Nov-2021 - Home - SMC B-Side vs Sacramento St. Win 90 to 10
22-Nov-2021 - Home - Life University - Win 31 to 29
4-Dec-2021 - Home - Life West - Win 29 to26
4-Dec-2021 - Home SMC B-Side vs Olde Gaels Win 36 to 15
11-Dec-2021 - Away - Long Beach St. - B-Side - Win 69 to 31
12-Dec-2021 - Away - Gilitinis Academy - Win 41 to 24
8-Jan-2022 - Home - POSTPONED - San Jose Seahawks - Stadium
15-Jan-2022 - Home - POSTPONED - UC Davis, Olde Gaels
22-Jan-2022 - Away - Cal Poly - Win 73 to 6
29-Jan-2022 - Home - LIfe West - Win 54 to 27
11-Feb-2022 - Away - Santa Clara - Win 71 to 18
12-Feb-2022 - Home - BYU - Win 39 to 28
19-Feb-2022 - Home - UCLA - Win - 41 to 31
26-Feb-2022 - Away - Grand Canyon - Win 60 to 5
5-Mar-2022 - Away - Central Washington - Win 30 to 27
11-Mar-2022 - Away - BYU B-Side - Win - 41 to 26
12-Mar-2022 - Away - BYU - Win 60 to 29
19-Mar-2022 - Home - San Diego St. - Win 41 to 5
26-Mar-2022 - Away - Cal - Loss 24 to 31
2-Apr-2022 - Home - UC Santa Barbara - Win 95 to 8
3-Apr-2022 - Home - UC Davis - Win 104 to 17
USA Rugby D1A National Championships
9-Apr-2022 - TBD - Playoffs - Bye
16-Apr-2022 - Home - Quarter Finals - BYU - Win 24 to 22
23-Apr-2022 - Away - Semi Finals - SMC @ Cal - Win 35 to 26
30-Apr-2022 - Aveva Stadium - Houston, Texas - SMC vs Army - 4PM Pacific Time
Gaels make too many mistakes in Houston
April 30, 2022 - Houston, TX
The stage was set with a large pro-Army crowd and a warm humid day. Army had their backs to the wind in the first half and used it well to gain territory from the boot. One of those kicks was a 50-22 that resulted in an Army lineout that they won and mauled in for the only try of the first half. The Gaels dynamic attack was thwarted by Army's strong defense, but the mistakes and unforced errors was the story and shown by the final result. The Gaels had plenty of opportunities only to be stopped by knocking the ball on. Attacking late in the game the Gaels were poised to score the tying try and attempt the conversion to win the game. Unfortunately, the Gaels knocked the ball on three times in a row allowing Army to clear the ball each time. The Gaels made several attempts to get back in scoring position, but with good Army defense and yet another knock on, Army was able to score a converted try as time expired for a final score of 20-8. The Gaels will look in the mirror and be disappointed with their mistakes, but knowing that they competed in the National Championship and ended up being the #2 College Rugby team in the Untied States is nothing to be ashamed about.
Gaels Return to National Championships!!
Saturday April 30, 2022 Aveva Satdium vs Army - 4PM (Pacific Time) Houston, Texas
Gaels Dominate Cal Early - Win 35 to 26
Saturday April 23, 2022 SMC vs Cal - Witter Field, Berkeley, CA
Saint Mary's College Men's Rugby Team absolutely dominated play and built a 28 to 0 lead in the first half. The Gaels defense was inpenterable and their dynamic offense showed everyone what the Gaels are capable of. With few mistakes and fewer penalties the Gaels sliced up the Cal defense and put across four converted trys before Cal knew what hit them. Cal was able to score as time ran out in the first half, so the scoreboard showed the Gaels on top 28 to 5. The second half saw the Gaels make mistakes that Cal pounced on to start their furious comback. The packed crowd grew tense as Cal scored trys to close the gap. Saint Mary's gathered themselves and scored again to put the game out of reach. Fans from both sides witnessed a great college rugby game. When the Gaels play clean and dyanmic they dominte play. When the Gaels make handling errors and repeated penalties they are ordinary. For the Gael Nation who supports this program unconditionally, they were treated to a dominating performance. And then there were two - SMC vs Army for the USA Rugby National Championship.
Saint Mary's College Communications Article
SMC to Play for National Title After Semifinal Win Over Cal
Gaels Beat BYU for the Third Time - 24 to 22
Saturday April 16, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, CA
The rain which came down on Friday through Saturday morning stopped in time for the third clash between Saint Mary's College and Bringham Young University. The Gaels scored early but BYU came back and took the lead for most of the contest. BYU put together a very strong defense coupled with the field conditions limited the dynamic Gael attack. Uncharacteristic knock ons and slipping on the wet surface hurt the Gaels from putting together any offensive momemtum. Credit to the BYU defense. They put in the tackles with much fury and were solid in limiting the line breaks of the Gaels. Yes the Gaels were behind towards the end of the game and the enlivend crowd responded when the Gaels kept knocking on the door, only to have their efforts dashed by a mistake or penalty. The courageous Gaels were not to be denied and scored a try which was converted in the final minutes to go ahead 24 to 22. The Gaels received the kickoff and were able to retain posession for the final minute of the match to earn the victory and the trip to Berkeley for the Semi-Finals of the USA Rugby D1A National Championships.
Gaels Win Big Over UC Davis - 104 to 17
Sunday April 3, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, CA
De Ja Vu - Yes the sun was out. Yes the crowd was entertained. Yes the Gaels scored lots of tries to end the regular season with a lopsided victory over the UC Davis Aggies. The Gaels were not perfect, and have plenty of things to evaluate watching the film, but the open play and dynamic tacticts were fun to watch. With more young Gaels wearing the first team stripes, the Gaels were anxiously awaiting the whistle to start the game. As with Santa Barbara, the Gaels put on a show of brilliant attack. Fantastic movements and passes proved too much for the Aggies to defend.
Gaels Win Big Over UC Santa Barbara - 95 to 8
Saturday April 2, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, CA
The sun was out, the crowd was ready, and the Gaels put on a show. With some players needing a rest, the Gaels put out a lineup that saw some young Gaels in the starting lineup for the first time. The scoring started early and didn't stop until the final whistle blew. The Gaels take the pitch again tomorrow against UC Davis at noon.
Gaels Unforced Errors Lead to Cal Victory
Saturday March 26, 2022 - Witter Memorial Field - Berkeley, CA
On a beautiful sunny day the setting was set and the pro Saint Mary’s crowd packed Witter Memorial Field eagerly anticipating the battle between the two best College teams in the country. Cal with nine foreign players and two from California came out ready and scored the first try of the match. The Gaels came back with two converted tries, followed by a Cal try then another score by Saint Mary’s. The Gaels led at halftime 19 to 14. The second half saw Cal score early followed by a Gael’s try to regain the lead. The Gaels made too many errors that Cal took advantage of resulting in the Bears final two tries. With very little time on the clock the Gaels were attacking in hopes of punching in a converted try to tie the contest, but were disheartened by a penalty whistle. The Bears tapped and cleared to end the game with Cal winning 31 to 24.
Gaels Defeat San Diego State - 41 to 5
Saturday March 19, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - 12PM Kickoff
Schedule & Results
Gaels Enjoy Rare Lopsided Win vs BYU
Saturday March 12, 2022 - South Field Soccer Stadium - Provo, UT
The preceeding week saw cold and snow, but for this contest of top tier rugby programs the sun and fans came out. According to the BYU staff, this was the first game in a couple of years when fans were allowed to watch the game. Those who showed up were not disappointed in the physicality and style of play. Although it was a contrast in styles with BYU going forward with hard runners and Saint Mary's spinning the ball out wide with their back finding gaps to run, pass, or kick through. The Gael defense was again stout and forced BYU backwards on several occassions. BYU did have several line breaks and their #6 was a difficult tackle and gained positive yardage everytime he touched the ball. These tactics and several positive mauls by the forwards netted the Cougars 5 tries. The Gaels on the other hand had several line breaks and well-timed kicks resulting in 10 tries. This offensive output can be attributed to hard work and nifty offloads by the forwards and dynamic attacks and finishes by the backs. With that said, we can't diminish Angelo Aguirre, the Saint Mary's lock who darted down the field 40 meters for the try. Surrounded by snow capped mountains and many intense BYU fans the Gaels stood tall and walked off the field with the 60 to 29 victory.
Goff Rugby Report on the SMC vs BYU game
Gaels Come Back to defeat Central Washington University 30 to 27
Saturday March 5, 2022 - Tomlinson Stadium - Ellensburg, WA
Playing on a multi use turf field always has its challenges, but once the whistle blows all thoughts are on the opponent. Prior to the start of the match Central Washington paid tribute to a fallen brother. Our thoughts and prayers are with the CWU rugby community. On the field CWU played with energy and veracity. The Gaels committed several unforced errors that lead to lost possessions, poor field position, and/or trys by CWU. CWU capitalized on this along with some strong rugby and built a lead of 27 to 8 in the second half. The Gaels ramped up their effort and showed some stout defense and began playing the dynamic offense we are accustomed to seeing scoring try after try until they dotted the ball down on the last play of the match to go ahead 28 to 27. With the conversion, the scoreboard showed the final score of Gaels 30 - CWU 27. CWU is a significantly improved team and deserving of being identified as on the top tier of collegiate rugby.
Gaels Dominate Grand Canyon - 60 to 5
Saturday February 26, 2022 - GCU Soccer Stadium - Phoenix, CA
Gaels Beat UCLA - 41 to 31
Saturday Febrary 19, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, CA
Gaels Defeat BYU - 39 to 28
Saturday February 12, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, CA
On a beautiful February day Saint Mary’s College and BYU took the pitch for a battle between two of the top teams in the country. The raucous crowd was not disappointed with the physicality and strength of play. Both teams showed their stoutness with passionate and dominating defenses. Saint Mary’s attack was a bit more creative and proved to be the difference in the final score. Each time the Gaels attempted to put the game away BYU took advantage of a mistake and scored to scratch closer on the scoreboard. In the end, the Gaels prevailed and kept their two year unbeaten streak alive. With a few challenging matches until the rematch in Provo, Utah, both teams will look forward to taking the pitch against each other again.
Goff Rugby Report - Delving into Saint Mary's vs BYU
Gaels Dominate Cal Poly - 73 to 6
Saturday, January 22, 2022 San Luis Obispo
On a cold January morning the Gaels boarded their bus for the journey south to take on the Cal Poly Mustangs. After getting off the bus to prepare for the match, the Gaels were able to watch the end of the SMC Women’s rugby game vs. Cal Poly. The whistle blew to start the match and the Gaels needed some time to shake off the rust. Their self-admitted sloppy play to start the match took some time to correct. Two ill-timed Gael penalties resulted in 6 points for the Mustangs. As the Gaels started playing to their level the defense proved impenetrable and dominant. Their attack started taking flight and the tries stared piling up. The victorious Gaels walked off the pitch with lessons learned and great minutes for many Gaels. The second and third teams also dominated. All in all, a great day for the Gaels. After the traditional rugby pleasantries, the Gaels boarded the bus for the journey home. Many Gaels were able to watch the 49ers victory over the Packers so the 49er fans had a memerable ride home.
Gaels Defeat BYU - 39 to 28
Saturday February 12, 2022 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, CA
On a beautiful February day Saint Mary’s College and BYU took the pitch for a battle between two of the top teams in the country. The raucous crowd was not disappointed with the physicality and strength of play. Both teams showed their stoutness with passionate and dominating defenses. Saint Mary’s attack was a bit more creative and proved to be the difference in the final score. Each time the Gaels attempted to put the game away BYU took advantage of a mistake and scored to scratch closer on the scoreboard. In the end, the Gaels prevailed and kept their two year unbeaten streak alive. With a few challenging matches until the rematch in Provo, Utah, both teams will look forward to taking the pitch against each other again.
Gaels Defeat Life West - 29 to 26
December 4, 2021 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, California
The Gaels took the pitch against Life West who has several former Gaels in their ranks. The Gaels jumped out to a 19 to 0 lead but Life West fought hard to the end and came all the way back to have the final whistle end their shot at a victory. Severl Gaels received valuable minutes in the match that will prove useful throughout the season.
Gaels Beat Life - 31 to 29
November 22, 2021 - Saint Mary's Stadium - Moraga, California
It took the full 80 minutes but the Gaels prevailed with a successful penalty kick at full time to seal the victory. One would expect both teams to play at a higher standard as the season progresses, but every fan in attendance was treated to a fantastic rugby game. The Gaels started off the scoring followed by some dominant rugby by Life University who took a comanding lead late into the second half. The Gaels fought back and got within 5, but Life elected to kick for points and went up by 8. The Gaels didn't quit and with some of their most connected rugby scored a converted try to close the gap to 28 to 29. With the Gaels controlling possession and looking to attack wide, Life was called for a penalty. The kick was slotted with no time remaining, giving the Gaels the 31 to 29 victory. Both teams will learn from this match and be better for it. As they say, today was a great day for rugby. Keeping with the rugby tradition both teams joined together, took a few pictures and shared some stories. Life was able to clean up some and get a bit of food prior to taking off to the airport. We wish Life safe travels.
Gaels have successful trip to Colorado
The Saint Mary's College Men's Rugby program traveled to Colorado to start their season. The first team took on the North American Rugby Academy and the second team competed against the University of Colorado. Infinity Park was the beautiful location to host these two matches on their side field. The Gaels dominated possession on the pitch and on the scoreboard ending with the first team earning a convincing 54-10 victory. The second team played a well organized Colorado team. The second team was up to the task and prevailed 29-15. A great start to the season that has many upcoming challenges.