Saint Mary's Gaels Baseball - Men's Rugby

Men's Rugby

The men's rugby team, the oldest athletic club at the school, plays college rugby in Division 1-A in the California conference. The team has enjoyed a rise in the past few years, revitalized with a new coaching staff and increasing alumni support. The Gaels finished the season ranked among the top ten college rugby teams in the country for three consecutive years. Head coach Tim O'Brien was named coach of the year by American Rugby News following the 2006-07 season.

The Gaels had a strong season in 2007-08, reaching the semifinals of the USA Rugby National Championship losing to Cal 41-31, and finished the 2007-08 season ranked #2 in the nation for Division 1. The Gaels were led that season by Kevin Swiryn, who went on enjoy a rugby career with the U.S. national team. The Gaels finished the 2010-11 season ranked fifth in the nation. The 2011-12 season saw St. Mary's achieve a perfect record en route to winning the Pacific Coast Conference championship, a non-conference 20-18 victory over defending national champion Cal, and defeating Utah 24-15 in the national quarterfinals to advance to the national semifinals before losing to Arkansas State. The Gaels were successful in the 2012-13 season, again posting an undefeated conference record to win the California Conference. In the 2013 spring playoffs, St. Mary's defeated Colorado in the quarterfinals and Cal Poly in the semifinals, before losing 16-14 in the national championship match to Life University.

The Gaels have also been successful in rugby sevens. The Gaels reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships. St. Mary's won the 2012 West Coast 7s tournament, with a semifinal 17-12 win over favored Cal, and a win in the final over Cal Poly 35-19. The Gaels finished third at the 2012 California 7s. The Gaels participated at the 2012 USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships, defeating Texas A&M and Navy to reach the semifinals.