VICTORIA - The University of Victoria Vikes men's rugby squad conceded their first game of the Wightman Boot series, losing 16-29, Saturday Nov. 9 as they played host to rival UBC Thunderbirds at Wallace Field. UBC jumped out to an early lead and did not look back, defeating the Vikes and taking a stranglehold on the series.
 
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As a result of the loss, the Vikes will now have to win the second and final leg of the series by over 10 points if they hope to continue their consecutive winning streak over UBC to 17. The Vikes were limited in their scoring Saturday afternoon, with third-year Luke McCloskey scoring their only try while Fergus Hall added a convert and three penalty kicks. The Vikes found problems in their own end as they looked to overcome a roster that was missing key starters due to international commitments and injuries.
 
"UBC came out real fast and hard and we gave up 12 points right away," said Vikes head coach Doug Tate. "They did a good job of putting some balls behind us, they had a good team today and we struggled. I thought we played well at the end of the game. We defended well at times, but we allowed them to control the game and they looked hungrier."
 
The Vikes will return to their CDI Premier League season next weekend and will be looking to end a three-game losing skid when they face UBCOB Ravens at Jericho Park, Nov. 16 at 2:45 p.m.