After an undefeated season of 10-0, the University of St. Thomas rugby team won second place in the state competition held April 17 and 18 in Austin, Texas. The Celts won their first game of the state competition with a score of 25 to 10, but lost the championship match to the Austin Huns in a close game of 15 to 17.

Rugby was the first UST intramural sport, and has recently regaining its status among students.

“The rugby is growing in popularity- really growing, especially in the Houston area and in Texas,” said Nathan Paulus, UST rugby captain.

The UST rugby team plays in Division 3 of the Texas Rugby League. The team is not limited to UST students, but is open to rugby players of all ages. A goal of the team is to gain enough UST players to become strictly an intercollegiate sport.

“It would be really nice to have more students both on the field and in the stands,” said UST rugby coach Jamie Moncur. “This is now a very successful UST team and it's a sport that is never dull to watch, but to be collegiate we need more student interest.”

Although they did not win first place at the state competition, their high standing still qualified them to advance to ‘Westerns,’ on May 1-2 in Fort Worth. The Celts did not place at Westerns, a regional rugby competition including teams from California, Colorado, and other western states.

From left to right: Dr. Lee Williames, Nathan Paulus, Joseph Bedell, Adam Kain, Wesley Major