Keeping it close: Dominic Besag ’26 with the ball. He had a successful try that narrowed the score to 14–8. / Photo by Rebecca Harper
Gaels Brave in Defeat in Semifinals Showdown, Which Brings 2024–25 Men’s Rugby Season to an End
In the Collegiate Rugby National Semifinals match on April 19, defending national champs Saint Mary’s were down early against Cal and gave it their all to fight back. But this day went to the Golden Bears, 38–27.Â
Hoping to return to defend their national championship crown, the Gaels took to the rugby pitch in Berkeley on Saturday to face archrival Cal in the Collegiate Rugby National Semifinals. The Golden Bears got out in front early, and Saint Mary’s fought hard to retake the lead. But on this day it was not to be: The match went to Cal, 38–27.
Saint Mary’s and Cal came into the match ranked the top two teams in the west by Goff Rugby Report, with the Gaels at No. 5 and the Bears at No. 4. And in the regular season, a hard-fought and high-scoring match saw Cal win 48–45.
In this semifinals match, after Cal took the lead a dozen minutes in, Ollie Cline ’26 responded for the Gaels with a penalty goal to make it 7–3. Another successful try by Cal was answered by the Gaels’ Dominic Besag ’26, which kept things close at 14–8. But before the half was over, a Cal pass led to another successful try and conversion, widening the gap to 21–8.
The Gaels threatened but didn’t manage to score until Cal had broadened their lead to 33–8. There were only 30 minutes left in the match, but Saint Mary’s made it clear it was far from over. After a maul and a penalty advantage, a successful try by fullback Mario Storti ’25 and conversion by Ollie Cline made it 33–15.
Cal scored another try to pull farther out to 38–15, and this time the Gaels answered with a try by Siale Ofa ’28, who turned on the speed to get past Cal defenders. Time was running short, and again the Gaels scored: this time after an epic 48-meter run by King Matu ’24, MBA ’25. That brought the score to 38–27, and that’s where it stood when the whistle blew.
Four Championships Since 2013
For the Gaels, it’s a hard end to a well-played season, which also saw a pair of Gaels, Dom Besag and John Battle Wilson ’26, nominated for the Rudy Scholz Award, recognizing the top collegiate rugby player in the country. Wilson is also a finalist. The Gaels got as close as possible to the national championship without being in the match.
This time around, that distinction goes to Cal, which will face Life University in the Collegiate Rugby Association of America National Championship in Indianapolis on May 3. Cal has not won a CRAA national championship since 2011.
Pulling back to the storied Saint Mary’s program, which has seen the Gaels as a perennial powerhouse for years, there’s this: The Gaels have won four national championships since 2013 and made it to the championship seven times in that stretch.
