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The Cali Circuit In a nod to the globe-trotting SVNS Series, this year’s West Coast 7s (WC7) tournament saw the Toreros compete across the Golden State against some of the nations top collegiate rugby programs. After nearly staging the upset of the year against the California Golden Bears in last
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After years of dominating the D1AA landscape, with four national championships in four years, over a dozen All-Americans, and a program built on excellence both on the field and in the classroom, the University of San Diego Men’s Rugby Club is proud to announce its move to D1A, the highest level of co
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The University of San Diego Men’s Rugby Club capped off another exceptional season with a heart-stopping D1AA National Championship Final, falling just short in one of the most dramatic matches in recent memory. Despite the narrow 38-32 defeat to a determined University of St. Thomas squad, USD once
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The University of San Diego Men’s Rugby Club continues to prove why it's one of the most respected and successful collegiate rugby programs in the nation, defeating Western Washington University with a disciplined and defensively dominant performance to book their return to the CRAA D1AA National Se
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With playoffs underway, USD hosted the American River College Beavers to determine the top D1AA club in California. The Beavers cut an imposing shape as their forward pack outweighed the Toreros at almost every position and their backline has been tough to contain in open play all season long. Yet
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In their league finale, the USD Toreros played host to the Arizona State Sun Devils in the curtain-raiser match for the Major League Rugby contest between the San Diego Legion and Miami Sharks. Prior to kickoff in Torero Stadium, USD Head Coach Charlie Purdon, accompanied by Chief of Academic Succ
Read storyWhile Fly-In, Fly-Out is typically associated with Australian mining operations, the Toreros paid homage to that jet-set lifestyle with a short, sharp trip to Stanford for their second North/South crossover match. With an early call time at the airport, USD displayed no signs of jet lag as they put
Read storyThe Toreros maintained their position atop the Southwestern Conference with a gutsy 39-12 win over the ASU Sun Devils on a sunny Saturday in Tempe. With this win, USD advanced to 3-0 in league play, meaning that they control their own destiny as teams begin jockeying for playoff positions. 2025 br
Read storyBoth the USD Toreros and Claremont Lions knew that Saturday’s matchup would likely decide the Southern California Conference champion and the matchup did not disappoint. The Lions struck first with an early penalty kick after a Torero infraction in front of the home side’s goalposts. While USD was a
Read storyUSD opened their 2025 league campaign at home with a convincing win over the visiting Fresno State Bulldogs. In a match that featured double-digit tries scored and even a few Torero hat tricks, the shutout of a very good FSU side impressed fans and Head Coach Charlie Purdon alike. In what would be
Read storyA sunny Saturday saw the University of San Diego Toreros host the San Diego State Aztecs for their annual Founders Cup match - a rivalry game paying homage to the shared lineage between San Diego’s top collegiate rugby programs- against the beautiful backdrop of Torero Stadium. The day started wit
Read storyThe USD Toreros ripped through some of the toughest competition in the country over a two-day competition at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. With some of the best teams west of the mighty Mississippi entered in the tournament, USD had high hopes for the weekend with pool matches ag
Read storyUSD rugby travelled up to UCLA for a Friday night match on November 17th. This would be the Torero’s first test against a team from the decision above them, with UCLA competing in D1A rugby. It was a tremendous defensive display from USD but the attack never quite clicked. USD would lose with a fina
Read storyUSD rugby kickstarted their 15s campaign with the annual city championship, held at Manchester field on Saturday November 11th. USD would again be crowned as city champs, winning the championship game over Mira Costa college 22-5. It was a great day of Rugby at USD, with two
Read storyUSD rugby began the 2023-2024 campaign on October 7th with the Gold Coast 7s tournament. USD would clinch the conference 7s championship with a 24-21 victory over USC in the final. USD breezed through pool play with a 38-0 victory over Pepperdine and a 47-0 victory
Read storyThe Toreros traveled out to Boulder, Colorado where they faced Iowa State in the D1-AA championship
Read storyThe storms rolled back in for day 3 of the tournament. USD met undefeated Clemson in the final, who had dominated their opposition all tournament
Read storyA 3-day grueling 7s tournament played at the University of Maryland saw USD challenge schools from across the US in an effort to defend their 7s title from last year
Read storyThis would be the first meeting between the Toreros and the Vikings since last season’s 30-17 WWU victory.
Read storyUSD rugby faced the Claremont colleges in the Gold Coast championship game. The winner would move on to national playoffs against Western Washington University.
Read storyThe Tritons attempted to hold back the onslaught of the Toreros but the USD squad was dominant
Read storyUSD moved to 2-0 with a 25-15 win over Mira Costa. The match started fast and physical, with both teams trading big tackles and strong carries. The Toreros had a hard time exiting their own 22, and after sustained pressure, Mira Costa got a penalty near the posts. The Spartans would knock
Read storyThe University of San Diego opened league play with a big win at Arizona State University. The final score would stand 40-26 after 80 minutes of play.
Read storyUSD Rugby will be wearing special Military Appreciation kits for our December 3rd Founders Cup match against SDSU. All game-worn jerseys will be available via an online auction.
Read storyCongratulations to our very own Oliver Kane! In this month’s Major League Rugby draft, he was selected by our hometown San Diego Legion in the second round!
Read storyUSD Rugby won the Men’s Red Cup title at the USA Rugby 7s Collegiate Championships (R7CC) on May 15th at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
Read storyUSD moved to 3-0 with a 31-19 victory over Long Beach State. The two teams came into the match ranked #23 and #16 in the nation respectively.
Read storyUSD moved to 2-0 with a dominant 47-27 victory over Azusa Pacific. The match started with some poor decision making by USD, which allowed APU to slot a penalty kick in for an early 3-0 lead to APU. The Toreros stormed back with #8 Michael Ramos starting the scoring with a trademark carr
Read storyOn a scorching Saturday in February, USD started the league season hot with a 41-10 victory over Arizona State. USD got on the front foot early with a try from Tyler Shelley after a series of pick and drives from the forward pack. The two teams traded territory and possession for a period of time
Read storyThis Saturday, USD rugby will play crosstown rivals SDSU. This will be the first annual contest for the “Founders Cup”, played in honor of the founders (and all alumni) of both programs. SDSU rugby was founded in 1958 with USD following in 1980. Both programs have had success at both the regional a
Read storyWe are excited to announce a return to rugby this fall! Director of Rugby Kevin Eaton: “After so long away from the game we are as a program itching to get back onto the field. We have an outstanding group of returning players who will be bolstered by a new class of recruits and walk ons. The scrim
Read storyWe are excited to announce another recruit for the Torero class of 2025. Gavin Saville is an outstanding fullback from Carlsbad High School. Gavin has a strong kicking game and is an excellent tackler. He is another player that will be at high school nationals this summer! Key Information Name:
Read storyWe are excited to announce another recruit for the Torero class of 2025. Micky O’Leary is an outstanding backline player from Novato, California. Micky is currently enjoying a breakout season playing outside center for San Francisco Golden Gate, with his primary experience being in the back 3. He is
Read storyWe are excited to announce another recruit for the Torero class of 2025. Nick Layon is a powerful center, with the top end speed to play wing as well. Nick is our second addition from Cathedral Catholic high school this year. Nick is currently play with Carlsbad rugby and will be competing against s
Read storyWe are excited to announce another recruit for the Torero class of 2025. Michael Lewis is a dynamic player from San Juan Hills high school. He primarily plays fly-half and fullback but can line up in any backline position and excel. Michael started the rugby club at his high school, and has recently
Read storyWe are excited to announce our first commitment for the USD class of 2025! Matthew Mihas comes to us from Cathedral Catholic high school in San Diego. He also plays for Mustangs and Crusaders rugby. Matthew is a prop who can play any position in the forward pack, and was a standout player for the Ca
Read storyThis week USD scored 2 commitments to kick off the incoming recruiting class. Our first commit was Devin Hoovel (Montini Catholic, IL). Hoovel has primarily played wing and fullback throughout his time at Montini Catholic, located in Lombard, IL. He has been selected to the Midwest Thunderbird se
Read storyThis Saturday USD hosts the Claremont Colleges. Kickoff will be at noon on Manchester Field. The match-up will pit two of the best small schools in the country against each other. The teams were nationally ranked #5 (USD) and #1 (Claremont) respectively after last season. Claremont will be led by
Read storyUSD played well in a physical game vs Long Beach State but ended up on the wrong side of the score sheet 10-24. USD was strong defensively but was hurt by a high penalty count and a yellow card just before half time. The game started with an extended period of USD possession, and several chances f
Read storyUSD will host Long Beach State this Saturday, with kickoff at 3:30 PM on Manchester Field. Long Beach State is currently ranked #16 in the nation at D1-AA level and will be a strong test for USD. Long Beach will be led by fullback David Arredondo, who leads the league with 7 tries scored this season
Read storyThis Saturday (February 1st), USD will look to bounce back against league-leading Azusa Pacific University. After week 1 APU stands top of the table as a result of a 48-5 victory over USC in their opener. The Cougars boast a massive forward pack paired with some rapid players in the backline. APU i
Read storyUSD traveled far for the league opener of 2020. Game 1 was at Arizona State, and a long bus ride was required to Tempe, Arizona. This was a daunting task for USD, as the ASU is traditionally one of the best teams in the country. USD traveled with the intention of building upon a strong fall presea
Read storyThis Saturday USD will play Arizona State in the league opener for both teams. This is the first year that ASU is competing in the gold coast conference, after moving down from D1-A. ASU competed in the PAC conference last year, with other high caliber programs like Cal, Arizona, and UCLA. The Sun
Read storyOn Saturday 12/7, USD hosted cross town rivals San Diego State. The battle for San Diego was a physical matchup on a rare rainy and cold evening in San Diego. Both teams were well supported in the bleachers, which led to a great game atmosphere. After a tight beginning to the game, USD ran away wit
Read storyAfter topping their pool, USD awaited the final game in pool B to find out their opponent in the final. Point Loma had upset San Diego State with a second half comeback, and the pool winner would be either Mira Costa JC or Point Loma. Point Loma edged the final game in their pool 19-17 to set up the
Read storyUSD played game 2 of the city championships directly after the game 1 victory. The opponent would be up and coming Mesa College. Game two was a strong offensive performance from USD, with a final score of 46-5 in a 40 minute game. USD started strong with Isoa Moimoi offloading to Henri Vatinel fo
Read storyThe city championship tournament is an annual tournament where all collegiate teams in San Diego compete for the title of best in the city. This year the tournament format was 2 pools of 3. USD was drawn in a pool with the UCSD Tritons and the Mesa College Olympians. In the other pool was the SDSU A
Read storyWe are very please to add Stephen Tomasin to our coaching staff. USA Eagle #496, Tomasin will be focusing on coaching the breakdown for USD. Tomasin has been a mainstay for the USA 7s team, and is also capped for the USA 15s team. He was recently nominated as world 7s player of the year, and was na
Read storyWe are very pleased to announce the official hiring of Brett Thompson to our coaching staff. USA Eagle #454, Thompson brings a wealth of experience in his role as backs/defense coach. Thompson has competed for the USA Sevens in over 30 tournaments and two world cups and represented the U.S.A 15s t
Read storyThis Saturday 10/26, USD will host a 7s qualifier tournament on campus. The winner of the tournament will get an automatic bid to NSCRO nationals. Also attending the tournament: The Claremont Colleges (reigning 15s national champions and 7s runners up), Cal Maritime Academy, Mira Costa JC, Point
Read storyUSD entered day 2 already having out performed their seeing in the tournament, but the goal was to continue to exceed expectations. Cal Poly loomed as the opponent in the quarterfinals. The Mustangs had beaten Cal at a tournament just 2 weeks ago, so they were sure to be a formidable opponent. USD
Read storyUSD Rugby once again took a trip to San Francisco, to compete in the west coast 7s. USD was drawn as the #12 seed, and put into a tough pool. In pool play the Torero would face San Jose State, Trinity Western, and Cal. San Jose state is a competive program who compete in the Norcal d1-aa conference.
Read storyCross town rivals UCSD came to play a midweek game at USD. The game was a great opportunity for USD’s young players to get their first game time. 9 players in the starting lineup made their first collegiate appearance, with some of them playing their first ever game of rugby. The side was capta
Read storyWe are extremely excited for this homecoming weekend, October 4-6. We have a full slate of events for all returning alumni and families. Friday 10/4 Alumni meet up at Offshore tavern at grill. Starting at 6:30PM this will be a great time to reconnect with old team mates and friends. Saturday 10/5
Read storyUSD is very excited for a highly competitive 7s seasons this fall. We start by playing a round robin tournament at UCLA on Saturday 9/28. This will be a 1 day tournament on campus at UCLA. Next we will compete in the West Coast 7s on treasure island (San Francisco). This will be a two day tou
Read storyThis year USD will host the annual alumni match on Saturday October 5th with a noon kickoff. After the match USD will have it’s first ever class inducted to the hall of fame. The inductees will be club founders Johhny Purcell and Tim Kleier, as well as former club great Rob Affleck. We are very exci
Read storyOur final player spotlight of the summer is Jonathan Hale. The big lock is our membership director for this season, meaning he is in charge of recruiting new players. Like Jordan Sandoval, Hale comes from Bellarmine College Prep. Hale did not play rugby in high school, but picked up the game his fre
Read storyThis week’s player spotlight is Isoa Moimoi. The dynamic center/loose forward is coming off an outstanding rookie season in which he started multiple league games. The sky is the limit for Moimoi as he heads into his second season with USD Rugby. Player Profile Isoa Moimoi Position: Center/Loo
Read storyThis week we spotlight Jordan Sandoval. Jordan is entering his sophomore year at USD. Jordan will be the teams director of equipment and apparel this season. Prior to joining USD Jordan played high school rugby for Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose Player Profile Jordan Sandoval Position: Fu
Read storyUSD is excited to announce the hiring of Charlie Purdon to our coaching staff this season! Purdon has had a decorated rugby career in the states, playing high level club rugby for Santa Monica and OMBAC, in addition to professionally with the San Diego Breakers. After retiring Charlie has publish
Read storyCameron is entering his Junior year at USD. Cam primarily played scrum half his freshman year, but took over the fly half position during his sophomore season. Cam has been elected by his team mates to be team president for this upcoming season. Player Profile Cameron Worthington- Wilmer Positi
Read storyAt the end of the season, USD Rugby designated their team award winners. The winner of the awards were as follows: Rookie of the year- Mark Boschetti Boschetti had a stand out rookie season, in a very stacked class of freshman players. Boschetti started every league game for USD, playing 13 prim
Read storyOn senior day USD matched up to a much larger Azusa Pacific team, and came out on top 34-20. USD started fast, with captain Mickey Miller overpowering a couple players to touch down in the corner for a score. Azusa Pacific would strike back soon after with a penalty kick from fly half Parker Vincen
Read storyUSD moved to 2-0 with a commanding 32-2 victory over USC. The Toreros dominated the Trojans in all facets, with the scrum being an area that was most mismatched. The USD pack bullied their opposition, stealing almost all of their opponents put ins at scrum time. After spending a long period in the
Read storyOn a rainy and windy day, USD took down LMU 44-31. USD did not play to the full potential of the team, but were able to secure a bonus point win none the less. LMU would start the scoring off with an early penalty. USD quickly worked their way back up the field, with charging runs from Darren Se
Read storyUSD Rugby will start winter training camp on Tuesday, January 15th. The annual camp is a test of players’ commitment and athleticism, with 10 days of double days on the schedule for the team in the coming weeks. The focus of the camp is to build on team and individual skills, in addition to a high
Read storyAfter 8 years with the program, Ryan Schott has departed the coaching staff due to commitments to the San Diego Fire Academy. Schott was a player for USD from 2010-2014, captaining the team from 2012-2014. The hard nosed flanker was instrumental in the culture change that occurred at the time. Schot
Read storyOn December 1 USD put out a Frosh-Soph team against the equivalent side from SDSU. Both teams were full of rookies which led to an entertaining game and great rugby experience for all players. USD started the match very strong with Sophomore Hooker Clayton Cervantes crashing over for his first eve
Read storyOn the last weekend before thanksgiving USD took on Cal Maritime Academy in San Diego. It was a highly competitive rugby and the best overall game of the season that USD took part in. USD would lose 5-15 and missed several scoring opportunities that hurt them in the match. The game would start wit
Read storyUSD went a disappointing 2-1 vs their opponents in the city championships. A young USD team did very well in some aspects, with some glaring weaknesses that were exposed in their lone loss of the day. Mickey Miller captained the side well all day. Miller was the ultimate security blanket outside of
Read storyIn the third game of the day, USD found itself in the 3/4 playoff. This was certainly not where USD intended to be on the day, but gave a great opportunity for younger players to get playing time. In this game USD would run out 10 rookie player with 5 senior vets out there to hold the team together
Read storyIn the second game of the day USD’s inexperience caught up to them. USD outplayed the opposition in open play but had some major struggles at the set piece. Multiple opportunities were left wanting when USD could not win their own scrum put ins. It was a lesson in technique as the experienced Mira C
Read storyIn their first game of the city championships USD got the opportunity to come together as a full team for the first time since the end of 7s season. The theme of the day would be rookie heavy lineups, with this starting 15 featuring 6 USD Rugby rookies. All games were played on small fields without
Read storyUSD has been a mainstay at the west coast sevens tournament since it’s inception. For the last 5 years the games have been played on treasure island in San Francisco, one of the top rugby destinations in the nation. The tournament draws teams from all over the west coast, with powerhouse squads like
Read storyUSD Rugby yet again celebrated homecoming weekend with a matchup between the alumni and current students. With the sevens team traveling, a squad of mostly rookies played the distinguished alumni side. The alumni showed well and were victorious against the rookie side. Strong alumni performances wer
Read storyUSD Rugby travelled up to Monterrey to take part in a sevens tournament at CSU Monterrey Bay. It was a mixed day for USD, with some disappointing results in pool play giving them a hard road to the final. A big win in the quarterfinal set up a semi final against Claremont Colleges. USD would lose th
Read storyUSD is back in session for the 2018 fall semester. This fall the team has a packed schedule competing in 7s and 15s. USD will being fall practices on Tuesday, September 18th. This will be normal practice time 5-7PM on Manchester Field. There is an informational meeting for all prospective players Th
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