Men's Rugby player Dom Besag runs with the ball in January 2026 in New Zealand

Open field: SMC’s Dom Besag ’26, who also plays with the USA Eagles, runs with the ball during an exhibition match the Gaels played in New Zealand. / Photo by The Photo Guy NZ

Men’s Rugby Completes Centennial Tour of New Zealand — Where ‘Footy’ is a Way of Life

To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pat Vincent—who transformed SMC Rugby into a powerhouse—the Gaels embarked on a tour of New Zealand. For a new generation of players, it was a chance to get to know the place that has shaped Gaels rugby.

by Rebecca Harper, Executive Director of Campus Recreation and Club Sports | February 19, 2026

This is a milestone year for Saint Mary’s Men’s Rugby: 2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Patrick B. Vincent, who transformed Gael Rugby in the 1960s into a national powerhouse. With multiple national championships under their belts in recent years, the team embarked on a tour of New Zealand, where Vincent was born and played a storied career before coming to the United States.

The roots of Rugby at Saint Mary’s actually reach back to the 19th century. But as the US Rugby Foundation notes, when Pat Vincent arrived at Saint Mary’s in 1967, the College just managed to field one team. Under Vincent, the sport exploded; he coached SMC teams for more than 15 years, and he is honored in the U.S. as one of the sport's greatest athletes and individuals. He also brought Gael Rugby teams on international tours every season—including, in 1980, to New Zealand. Vincent passed away in 1983, suffering from an asthma attack while returning from an SMC Easter trip with the team.

This year’s tour, then, carried a special significance for the team and for Coach Tim O’Brien. As with so much that sustains the Rugby program, it was also a special tour for enthusiastic parents and dedicated Saint Mary’s alumni. Together with Gael Rugby, in the second half of January they spent 14 days exploring the culture, traditions, and coastlines of Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, and Christchurch. They also took to the pitch for three matches.

Men's Rugby team with a New Zealand team posing for a group shot in January 2026 — Show your colors: Gaels Rugby in red-and-blue jerseys with hosts in New Zealand / *Photo by Leo Tingin*

They don’t just play rugby in New Zealand. They live it.

A couple of things to understand about rugby in New Zealand. One, the sport is colloquially known as “footy.” Two, rugby is not just played—it’s lived.

For the first half of the trip, the Gaels explored the Northern Island—including taking in dazzling 360-degree views from the 328-meter-tall Sky Tower in Auckland. They dove into rugby history through the All Black Experience—an interactive journey named for New Zealand’s legendary national team. Pat Vincent, who captained multiple matches with the All Blacks, resides among the pantheon of more than 1,200 named athletes.

Mountain, ocean, and sky in New Zealand in January 2026 — Sea and sky: Rugby players, family, and friends had time to take in sights and explore between matches. / *Photo courtesy Gaels Rugby*

The first match of the tour was against Auckland club Grammer TEC, the development team for professional rugby squad Moana Pasifika. Following the game, the hosts welcomed the visitors from the States and provided the after-match feed for the entire group of nearly 100 players, family, alumni, and friends.

There were the lessons the game and experience offered on the field and off. “It's not enough to play your best, you have to play for the guys next to you and for the people that got you where you are now,” observed Gaels Rugby player Joseph Broughton ’25, MBA ’26. “When you can't do it, when you're down, it's the people and guys next to you that pull you up and push you to be better.”

There were training sessions and time for tours. While traveling to Rotoura, a center of Maori culture and renowned geothermal wonders, there was a quick stop to the popular beach town of Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, which provided the opportunity to explore the beaches and ocean views. Gondola rides up offered dazzling valley vistas, and luge rides downhill served up a rush of adrenaline. The evening in Rotorua was filled with learning about Maori culture at the Mitai Maori Culture Experience.

From there, the team traveled south, stopping at Huka Falls before reaching Wellington. A guided tour of the New Zealand Rugby Museum connected past and present, reminding players they were part of something bigger. They took on more training and preparation, taking to the pitch against Avalon Rugby Club and Upper Hutt Rams, with two matches played simultaneously.

Men's Rugby team in a scrum against Grammer TEC in New Zealand in January 2026 — In the scrum: SMC vs. Grammar TEC / *Photo by Rebecca Harper*

“It’s about the people.”

For many, the final days of the tour were perhaps the most memorable, when the Gaels made a pilgrimage to Christchurch, where Pat Vincent taught and played for years. The Gaels squared off against the High School Old Boys Club and visited the Canterbury Crusaders facility.

There, Molitika “Santi” Ix-Siu ’27 was struck by a remark from Crusaders Coach Rob Penney. “He said their goal at the beginning of the season is never to ‘Win the championship’ but to ‘Be good people,’” Ix-Siu recalls. “They focus on coming in making sure their body is right, they are hydrated, and have eaten. They make sure everything is good in life outside of rugby. It stood out to me that they had probably the smallest training room, the simplest goals, and still are the most successful team.”

Gaels Rugby player with ball being tackled by a team in New Zealand in January 2026 — Gaels vs. Crusaders: Saint Mary’s takes to the pitch again Pat Vincent’s former team. / *Photo by The Photo Guy NZ*

It was also visiting the Crusaders that Rugby player John Battle Wilson ’26 found his most memorable lesson. “They gave us a saying they live by: ‘It’s not about the training or rugby; it’s about the people.’ Saint Mary’s Gaels Rugby exemplifies this line of thinking, and we see it with our lovely families, alumni, and supporters. Gael Rugby is about the people."

Indeed, for Gael family members on the trip, it was an opportunity to get to know players from now and from generations past, as well as coaches, friends, and other parents. “The sense of community throughout the journey was remarkable,” notes Michelle D'Augusta, whose son Enzo D'Augusta ’27 plays with the Gaels.

Men's Rugby players running and passing the ball in New Zealand in January 2026 — Speed and agility: **Mario Storti ’25, MBA ’26** looks for open space during the match against Moana Pasifika U20's. */ Photo by Rebecca Harper*

For Fr. John R. Morris, OP, who has taught theology at Saint Mary’s and served on advisory boards for the College, it was an opportunity to learn more about Pat Vincent and see his home. “The young men who we traveled with were a credit to the game and to Saint Mary's College,” he says.

Some described the trip as once-in-a-lifetime. For those who played rugby under Pat Vincent and traveled with him in the past, there was a deeper connection still. Justin O’Connor ’80 played for Vincent and was part of the inaugural 1980 SMC Rugby tour of New Zealand. He returned this January with his wife, Cathy O’Connor. “The play of the young men and their maturity and respect for the supporters was incredible,” he says. The way he sees it, that’s a testament to the program and the work of Coach Tim O’Brien.

The players and friends returned to California not just with match results, but with memories of footy in its purest form—forged in New Zealand, across mountains, cities, and cultures, half a world away.