Vancouver, BC – The University of Victoria men's rugby team fell in the first leg of the Wightman Boot and season opener, 36-26, to the UBC Thunderbirds on Sep. 12.
UBC controlled the early part of the first half, but the Vikes showed no signs of quitting.
- After UBC jumped out to an early 19-0 lead, the Vikes found their footing late in the first half. Ronin Smith sparked the attack with a strong run down the right side, helping set up Reece Thompson for Victoria's opening try. The Vikes continued to battle and added another score in first-half stoppage time to close the gap to 26-14 heading into the break.
Vikes carried the momentum into the first half.
- The Vikes carried that momentum into the second half and put the Thunderbirds under significant pressure. Just eight minutes after halftime, Michael Oughtred delivered a well-timed pass to Alex Gamage, who broke through the UBC defence and raced in for a try.
- Moments later, relentless pressure on the try line paid off when Muiredach Casey pounced on a loose ball and powered over for another score. The successful conversion tied the match at 26-26 with 20 minutes remaining.
The Thunderbirds recovered after the comeback.
- With momentum firmly on their side, the Vikes continued to push, but UBC reclaimed the lead in the 65th minute through a driving maul try. Victoria pressed for another response in the closing stages, but a late penalty goal by the T-Birds sealed the 36-26 final.
Notables:
- With the loss, the Vikes fall to 0-1 while the Thunderbirds start their season 1-0.
- Thompson, Gamage, and Casey all crossed the try line for their first scores of the season.
The Vikes will now look to build on that performance when they host the second and final leg of the Wightman Boot on October 24 at Wallace Field.
