Victoria, B.C. – The University of Victoria men's rugby team earned a hard-fought victory over the UBC Thunderbirds on Oct. 24 at Wallace Field. The Vikes fell heartbreakingly short of qualifying for the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship.

Entering the match needing to overturn UBC's Coastal Cup aggregate advantage, the Vikes required an 11-point victory to claim the Coastal Cup and secure a berth at nationals, or a 10-point win to force overtime.
 
The Vikes built momentum early and headed into the second half with a chance.

• Reece Thompson opened the scoring for Victoria before Cooper Coats added the conversion to give the Vikes an early 7-0 lead.
• Jeffery Young crossed for the Vikes' second try of the afternoon as Victoria continued to apply pressure.
• Thompson added his second try of the match before Brendan Kim also found the scoresheet, helping Victoria build the margin required to keep its national championship hopes alive.
• Victoria carried momentum throughout the opening half and remained firmly within striking distance of the qualification target.

 
The Vikes battled until the final whistle with their CUMRC hopes hanging in the balance.

• Josh McIndoe added a second-half try as Victoria continued its push toward the margin needed to secure a place at nationals.
• Cooper Coats was reliable with his foot throughout the afternoon, converting tries and adding valuable points to keep the qualification scenario alive.
• As the final minutes ticked away, the entire focus shifted to one final attack. Victoria marched deep into UBC territory and repeatedly drove toward the try line, searching for the score that would secure a place at the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship.
• Victoria came within inches of the line. Despite a relentless final push and multiple opportunities at the doorstep, the Vikes could not find the final few inches needed to touch the ball down for the game-winning score.

 
Notables

• UBC retained the Coastal Cup and secured the national championship berth despite Victoria earning the victory on the day. Trinity Western University will host this year's Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship.
• Victoria will now shift their sole focus to the BC Premier League regular season.

 
The Vikes will return to action on Oct. 31 when they host the Westshore RFC at Wallace Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.