San Diego State Aztecs rugby


Founded in 1958, San Diego State Aztecs rugby is the rugby club of San Diego State University in San Diego, California. It fields both men's and women's teams, the men compete in Division 1-A in the California conference and the women play in the Pacific Desert conference of Division II. The Aztec men's team won the US National Collegiate Rugby Championship in 1987.

Teams

Men's team

Since the inception of the club in 1958, men's rugby has been both a popular and successful sport on campus at SDSU, so much so that Aztec alumni went on to set-up the rugby team of Old Mission Beach Athletic Club in 1966 and also to found the Old Aztecs rugby club in 1978. In addition to the 1987 National Championship, the Aztecs have won numerous SCRFU Collegiate Conference titles to progress to the national playoffs, including 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012. San Diego State men's teams have also excelled at the short-form of the game; finishing second at the 2010 Collegiate Rugby Championship and qualifying to play in the USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2015.

Women's team

Women first represented San Diego State at rugby in 1975 and, like the men, had an astonishingly successful introduction, finishing the season second in the nation after losing the inaugural Women's Collegiate National Championship to the University of Colorado. The team played successfully for eleven seasons, even going on an undefeated four-match tour of New Zealand in 1981. In 1986 the Aztecs combined with a local club team the Rio Grande Surfers. The Surfers, now known as the San Diego Surfers, play in the Women's Premier League, the highest level of women's rugby in the United States. The Aztec women's team has recently been re-established on campus and they were progressing successfully through the 2020 season until it was cut-short by the coronavirus pandemic.

Club history

Founding and inaugural season

The first record of anyone having an interest in playing rugby at San Diego State College is an advertisement in the school newspaper, The Daily Aztec, at the end of the fall semester of 1957 asking for Men interested in forming a rugby team to attend a meeting. More than 45 people turned up so a season schedule was put together along with a timetable of practices to be held over the winter break and Mr. Fred Quiett of the university's Engineering Department agreed to become the club's first faculty representative.
The team played its first competitive matches in the spring semester at the Southern California Rugby Football Union Carnival in Santa Ana on Sunday February 9, 1958, defeating Pomona-Claremont 8–0 and losing to the Pepperdine College Waves 3–8. The first of seven league matches that season was played against El Centro in El Centro on Saturday February 15, the Aztecs won 15–0. Their next match was their first at home, it was played in the Aztec Bowl against Ontario and was won by the Aztecs 20–14.
Winning ways continued that first Cinderella season with a further three victories before suffering their first league defeat to Eagle Rock Athletic Club. This set-up their final match with Santa Ana College on the next weekend as a championship decider, the Aztecs won the match and thus they also clinched the league in their inaugural season. Four of the team were named on the Southern California All star team, two to the All-star second team and one honorable-mention.
DateTimeMatch typeOpponentLocationResultScore
1958-02-09FriendlyPomona-Claremont CollegesSanta Ana, CaliforniaWon8-0
1958-02-09FriendlyPepperdine College WavesSanta Ana, CaliforniaLost3-8
1958-02-152:00 p.m.LeagueEl CentroAway - El Centro, CaliforniaWon15-0
1958-02-232:30 p.m.LeagueOntarioHome - Aztec BowlWon20-14
1958-02-292:00 p.m.LeaguePomona-Claremont CollegesHome - Aztec BowlWon8-6
1958-03-081:00 p.m.LeagueUCLA BruinsAway - Westwood, Los AngelesWon14-11
1958-03-162:00 p.m.LeaguePepperdine College WavesHome - Aztec BowlWon17-0
1958-03-221:00 p.m.LeagueEagle Rock Athletic ClubAway - Rancho Cienega Playgrounds, Los AngelesLost9-3
1958-03-292:30 p.m.LeagueSanta Ana CollegeHome - Aztec BowlWon8-0

National championship

The Aztecs won the US National Men's Collegiate Rugby Championship in 1987, overcoming Dartmouth College rugby club 22–6 in the semifinals and beating the United States Air Force Academy rugby club 10–9 in the final. The 1987 men's rugby team was inducted into the San Diego State University Aztec Hall of Fame in 2005.

Notable alumni

International fifteens players

Alumni of San Diego State who have played international rugby union
Alumni of San Diego State who have played professional rugby union
Alumni of San Diego State who have played international rugby sevens
Students and alumni of San Diego State who have been awarded All-American honors for rugby, played for the US Junior All Americans, the US Collegiate All Americans or who have played international rugby at a junior level for another nation.

Rugby coaches and administrators

Alumni of San Diego State who have become coaches and/or administrators of rugby at the highest level
Former coaches of San Diego State Aztec rugby who have played and/or coached international and/or professional rugby