Utah State men’s rugby club launches into 2025 season

Utah State University’s Men’s Rugby Club kicked off its season on Sept. 13 with a win against Air Force, 40-29.  

USU’s club team plays under the Collegiate Rugby Association of America, the highest level a Division I college team can play in. They are self-funded, player-led and coach-supported. Their program is financially run by the players and fundraising opportunities.  

There are currently 38 players registered with the team, and head coach Matt Tualamali’i said there are more to come. He said this gives the team room to develop and grow with the sport.  

Tualamali’i said he is excited to see what they can do this season.  

“Last year was the first successful winning season we’ve had here at Utah State,” he said. “I want to continue to build on that foundation we’ve created and to see how well Utah State flourishes here in the future.” 

Team captain Jacob Burton agrees.  

“I think the energy and the excitement is on a new level,” he said. “I think we’re excited on where we can go this year and get a little better every day.” 

This is Burton’s third year playing rugby for USU and second serving as captain. He said he started helping out the team captains his first year on the team and when they left, they asked him to step up.  

Burton also played in high school and said he fell in love with the sport when he started in his junior year. 

“Rugby’s the best,” Burton said. “I really love the guys on the team. You develop a really close bond. You spend a lot of time together doing things that kind of suck, and so you form a special bond together, and it’s a lot of fun.” 

USU Rugby Club players battle Air Force in a scrum on Aggie Legacy Fields on Sept. 13.

Matt Gatherum, vice-captain of the team, highlighted the club’s positive environment.  

“I just love the atmosphere. Everybody’s out here to win,” Gatherum said. “Everybody’s out here to compete. It’s a brotherhood.” 

Unlike Burton, Gatherum did not play in high school but started at USU. He joined because his brother played and invited him to join as well.  

“I fell in love with it,” he said.  

The team plays a version of rugby called 15s in the fall. The two teams each place 15 players on the field, and they score in a variety of different ways. A try is scored when a team grounds the ball in the opponent’s goal area, earning them five points. After scoring a try, the team can attempt a conversion by kicking the ball through the goal posts, which is worth two points. A penalty kick through a goal earns a team three points, as does a drop goal, which is when a player kicks for goal in open play.  

The team has high hopes for the season.  

“Practice has gone really good. We’ve all come prepared,” Gatherum said. “For our base structure right now, we’ve done really well in practice and we’re ready to go.” 

The team will play their next opponent Idaho State University on Oct. 3 at the Aggie Legacy Fields. 

“Practice has gone really well,” Tualamali’i said. “My hopes right now — I just want to see us succeed.”