The weekend of November 19-20 was a momentous occasion for the UCSD Women’s Rugby Team. This marked the Scrum By The Sea tournament, the annual fundraising event taking place on UC San Diego’s own Warren Field. It was the first official gameplay of the 2022-2023 season, which was incredibly exciting for old and new players alike. Teams from California and Arizona gathered for two days of playing rugby under the sun in both competitive and social brackets.

On the first day of competition, the team played Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. The second day, the team went up against Claremont and Long Beach. These games were both challenging and enjoyable, which is what playing rugby is all about. Overall, San Diego State University accumulated the most points throughout the competition, making them the winners of the tournament.

Outside of gameplay, the Tritons also had great success in selling merchandise designed by the players themselves. This tournament was a prime learning experience for all players on the team, especially since it was the first Scrum By The Sea for the majority of them– it was an enriching experience for the rookies as they were able to build up their confidence with the rules of the game and with tackling. It was also thrilling to watch many players, both old and new, score for the first time!

Overall, Scrum By The Sea was not only an overwhelming success but also a fantastic way to begin another rugby season for UC San Diego. The event was captured wonderfully by @devontphoto on instagram, check them out to see some amazing pictures from Scrum by the Sea!

Article written by Mack Caldwell