VICTORIA – The University of Victoria men's rugby team is looking for redemption after falling just short of a Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship title last fall. The team opens the 2024-25 season by hosting the Pacific Pride on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 3:00 p.m. at Wallace Field.
For Vikes head coach
Scott Manning, who enters his fourth season with the men's rugby program after taking over for longtime head coach Doug Tate, it's been a steady build over the past few years. With a solid core of returning players, the team is primed to compete for a university banner.
"Losing a national final instills a hunger to improve and close the gap. It's not what we talk about day to day, but it's certainly one of the motivations in the back of our minds," said
Scott Manning, men's rugby head coach.
Key returners
Leading the Vikes this season is captain
Merlin M'Cloud. The fifth-year engineering student is a unique story of grit and determination, having worked his way from the Saxons in his first two seasons to a starter and now team captain.
(Read M'Cloud's story)
Another crucial player returning to the Vikes is back row/prop
Brendan Kim. His consistency over the last two seasons and his significant role during last year's playoff run make him a key player for the team this year.
Alex Gamage, a fly half from Calgary, AB, returns for his third season with the Vikes after a fantastic first two years. Alex joins brother
Chris Gamage (scrum-half), who is in his final term this semester, looking to close out his career with a championship.
Keep an eye on the promising young talents, including the 2023-24 Vikes Rookie of the Year
Morgan Di Nardo, Matthew Bennet, Lockhart Macgregor, and
Brighton Feldman--the future of the Vikes program who are set to make a significant impact.
Di Nardo is coming off a breakout season where he made an immediate impact upon joining the Vikes, earning a starting position as a rookie. As the team's most prolific try scorer, he earned recognition as a First Team All-Star at the Canadian University Men's National Championship. Last spring, Di Nardo achieved another milestone by being selected to Canada's senior men's national sevens team and scoring his first international try, an extraordinary feat for an 18-year-old.
Bennet, Macgregor, and Feldman also follow outstanding rookie seasons. They spent the summer alongside Di Nardo, representing the Canadian U20 men's squad for a four-week intensive training camp and matches versus the United States. The focus of the U20 programming, which is an essential step on the pathway towards the senior national teams, is the long-term development of the next generation of Canadian rugby players.
Off-season additions
Siôn Griffiths joins the men's rugby team as a UVic rookie but a veteran athlete. The 2018 Brentwood College School graduate spent time on the University of British Columbia track team before switching to rugby. Griffiths has been a member of the Pacific Pride, the Canadian national sevens team and most recently, the Vancouver Highlanders. He will be able to step in and immediately impact the roster this season.
Liam Bolton is another veteran rookie who can step in and contribute minutes in his first season. Originally from Leduc, QC., Bolton played for LA Crude Rugby club in Leduc before making his way out west to play for the Pacific Pride from 2022-23.
Coaches notes
"As we move from being a young team to a more experienced team, we're getting better at playing to our strengths, using speed as a weapon and being the best at what we do while improving on some of the important parts of the game," said Manning.
"Our goal is to create a competitive environment and to compete in both the BC premier league, as well as for a national university title. We've got a lot of returning players and some good first years coming in and everyone is bought into what we are building here."
GAME INFORMATION
Vikes vs. Pacific Pride
Saturday, Sept.7 | 3:00pm | Wallace Field
2024-25 Schedule
