Loyola Rugby of Loyola Marymount University

Jason Harper was one of the most respected referees at Sullivan Field, commanding control of the game and gaining respect from many of our players and opponents. Thank you Jason for all your support throughout the years. Rest in peace, sir.

In Memoriam: Anthony Tony Mangus, ‘ 92 The Loyola Rugby Club is saddened to send along the news of the recent passing of Tony Mangus, ’92, following complications arising out of a surgical procedure Tony was a four year member of the team and a three year starter at the scrumhalf position. The Lions were the SoCal Rugby Union Collegiate Division champions in each of those three years. While playing with the Westchester side Tony also toured with the club to Boston, New Or...leans, and Washington DC. Deeply respected by his teammates Tony was elected club president and team captain his senior year. Tony led his team with an uncommon passion, a genuinely positive energy, and his trademark 1000 watt smile. Both on and off the playing field Tony was very much the embodiment of the Jesuit ideal of a man for others. Tony is survived by his parents Vince and Judy, his brother Tom, sisters Kathy and Susie, and several nieces and nephews. Donations may be made to The Tony Mangus Memorial Scholarship at Regis Jesuit High School.

NSCRO rebrands as National Collegiate Rugby (NCR)

Rugby and life will carry on . . . someday. The Loyola Rugby Club of LMU is pleased to announce its officers for the 2020 / 2021 academic year. President James Max Muliquin, LMU '22... Vice-President Connor Fairtlough, ‘21 Treasurer Millyon Millie Mesfin, ‘22 Safety Officers Nicholas Shaw, ’23; Garrett Miller, ‘23 Team Managers Mason Warren, ’23; Will Ruskin, ‘23 Social Chair Wilson Chatham, ‘22 Go Lions !

Alumni Match Cancelled While very disappointing, but probably not surprise to anyone, the Loyola Rugby Club of LMU announces its 2020 Alumni match has been cancelled. The club wishes to thank their alumni, their parents, and everyone else who followed the team this year for their on-going support as we look forward to next season. Go Lions ! ... (But only after you wash your hands . . . or paws.) See more

CSUN Recap Northridge would record the first points of the match on a converted try six minutes into the game. Following that early setback the Lions would push the run of play into the Matador’s half and maintaining their offensive pattern would see lock Parker O’Regan into the endzone, then cutting back to touchdown under the posts for the easy conversion by standoff Wil Ruskin. O’Regan would setup the Lions next touchdown with a spectacular breakaway run some 75 meters s...Continue reading

CSUN 31 Lions 38 Lions hold off Matadors' late rally in the "Wooden Spoon" match.

Norco Recap If their first home match of 2020 saw the Lions play their best twenty minutes of the season, then their second would see them play undoubtedly their worst twenty minutes as visiting Norco College would jump out to a 24 0 lead even before the first period was halfway done. Norco would extend their lead to 31 0 before the Lions would get on the scoreboard. Those points would come in the waning minutes of the period when senior Connor Green touched down off a ...line break from a very crisply executed inside center crash. Freshman standoff Wil Ruskin would make the easy conversion to see the halftime score at 31 - 7. Norco would open the second half with a pair of converted trys as the Lions were down a man with sophomore lock Regan O’Parker serving out the remaining time of a yellow card incurred in the very last minute of the first period. Once back to full numbers and in conjunction with a couple of tactical changes in their pack, the Lions started seeing some runs of play going in their direction, though Norco would continue to put points on the board at regular intervals. In the later part of the half Jeff Scharberg would score his second try of the season for the Lions, on a pick and go following a bulldozing run by his brother, sophomore prop Eric Scharberg. Ruskin again made the easy conversion. The Lions would also record the last points of the game when freshman lock Colton Vasquez took a perfectly timed off load from his fellow second rower O’Regan, and went into the end zone all but untouched from ten meters out. Final score: 59 19. Notes from the Sideline -- Jeff Scharberg, who started the game in the second row, was the Lions’ captain. In the second half Jeff would move over to his more natural position at openside flanker. -- The Lions would suit up 20 players for the match, however none of the reserves were backline players. As such following an injury to one of their wingers the starting hooker, Jack Ahnlund, moved out of the pack to fill the gap in the Lions’ backfield with the hooker’s position then filled from off the bench. -- Not lastly, a reminder the Alumni match has been moved to SUNDAY, March 29th. More information is available here: https://alumnicommunity.lmu.edu/s/1013/lmu16/interior.aspx Next Saturday the Lions travel to Cal State Northridge for their final Gold Coast Conference match of the 2020 season. Kickoff is at 1:00PM on CSUN’s North Field. Go Lions !!!

Norco 59 Lions 19 Game summary to follow mid-week.

Lions take on Norco College this afternoon, kickoff at 1:00PM. Setting up the goal posts this morning the Lions strike a pose commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Marine Corps’ historic raising of the flag on top of Mt Suribachi.

2020 Alumni Game Change of Date This year’s Alumni Game has been moved to SUNDAY, March 29th. As usual the match will be played on Sullivan Field, kickoff at 1PM. A reception will follow at 3PM in the Collins Center. More information is available at the LMU Alumni Events website: https://alumnicommunity.lmu.edu/s/1013/lmu16/interior.aspx... Go Lions . . . and Old Lions !

OC Barbarians Recap Taking the opening kickoff, the Lions would string together probably the best twenty minutes of rugby they have played this season. Almost immediately they were inside the Barbarians’ 22M line and following a series of phases freshman fullback Wil Ruskin touched down to give the Crimson & Gray an early 5 - 0 lead. The home side would continue to have field advantage as lock Parker O’Regan would take the ensuing kickoff some 40 meters right back into the... red zone. However, the Barbo’s defense would hold firm and eventually pushing the run of play back into the Lions’ half, seeing their first try at the 22nd minute and then scoring again some ten minutes later. Ruskin would give the Lions another 3 points on a penalty kick with three minutes left in the half, but the Orange County side would respond with a vengeance running in a pair of trys in the remaining time to see the score to 24 - 8 at the break. The second half started with most of the play occurring in the middle of the field, neither team seeing any clear advantages until the Barbarians broke around the outer edge of the Lions defensive line for the first points of the half at the 57th minute. The Westchester side would record their second try of the match halfway through the period when freshman standoff George Jenkins found his way down the east sideline of Sullivan and into the end zone to bring the score to 29 13. From that point on it was all Barbarians as they ran in three unanswered trys, plus one conversion, over the next fifteen minutes to put the match away. Final score: 41 - 13 Notes from the Sideline The Lions were again captained by sophomore scrumhalf Max Mulquin. Eddie Robins made his A side debut, coming on as a tactical sub in the second half. Connor Green returned to the starting lineup having missed the UCSD match while he was in Chapel Hill, interviewing at UNC for their PhD program in Electrical Engineering. The Lions were well supported on the day with a sizable crowd of LMU students, players’ parents, and rugby alumni in the stands. The Lions will return to Sullivan Field this coming Sunday afternoon when they take on Norco College. Kickoff is at 1:00PM Go Lions !

Barbarians 41 Lions 13 And, yes, a game summary will follow.

Sullivan ready for Rugby The Lions kickoff at 1:00PM today against the OC Barbarians

Lions return to Sullivan Field this Saturday This coming Saturday the Loyola Rugby Club of LMU will play its first conference home match in 51 weeks when they host the Orange County Barbarians. Kickoff is at 1:00PM. The OC Barbarians are an age grade (U23) club side who are replacing UC Irvine in the Gold Coast Conference schedule following the collapse of the Anteaters’ rugby program earlier this season. ... The UCI program started in 1968 and had been a regular fixture on the Lions’ schedule for most of the past half century. In 2007 and again in 2008 the Lions defeated the Dan Cossettini coached UCI teams in the SoCal Collegiate championship match. Those wins providing the Lions a small measure of revenge with Mr. Cossettini, who as a player had led the Anteaters’ massive upset of the Crimson & Gray in the 1993 championship game. The Lions do hope to see the Irvine program reconstituted in the near future. Go Lions !