Gophers beat Nebraska in season opener
Minneapolis, MN – The Gophers played their HOA conference opener on the road against Nebraska this weekend, and started the season off hot with a big 67-31 win. Tries scorers included Jack Hardt, Sam Dodd, Carter Roth (x2), Ryan Horejsi, Eoin McVey, Santiago Serrano, Tristan Malletoit, Jack Poston, Marcus Lorenzen, and Declan Rusk. Conversions were all attempted by Tristan Malletoit. Man of the Match was awarded to 8-man Sidney Kingbird-Haugen, who had many dominant carries on offense and excellent tackles on defense.
While the Gophers were dominant on both offense and defense, they learned many lessons and look forward to keep improving over the next few weeks. They prepare to face Iowa as their home opener and next conference game this upcoming Saturday, September 27th. Kickoff will be at 1:00pm for Maroon side, with Gold side following shortly after the conclusion of that game.
Gopher Rugby Welcome Week Update
Minneapolis, MN – While university has only been in session for a week, the University of Minnesota Men's Rugby team has already had an action packed couple of weeks getting ready for an exciting 2025 fall season. Between training camps, fundraising, recruiting, and much more, the Gophers have spent a great deal of time kicking this season off to a big start.
On the recruiting side, social media recruiting efforts this past year led to many local midwest players joining the club. Ten Gophers attended two major welcome week club events, led by recruiting officer Josh Nacker. During these events alone, the Gophers recorded over 50 new recruiting contacts that are already making an impact on the team.
On the fundraising side, the Gophers continued their tradition of cleaning barns for the Minnesota State Fair. During two total cleaning days with 28 combined volunteers, the team raised over $6000 towards new gear and travel. Fundraising officer Declan Rusk also has scheduled other fundraising efforts such as “Do Good with Chipotle” to help the team.
On the practice side, the team has been putting in a lot of effort to keep the momentum from the spring going. Between summer practices, joining local men's rugby clubs, and other conditioning, the Gophers came to this year's mini camp ready to put in the work! In addition to the preseason mini camp and resuming weekly practices, the Gophers also had an exciting practice/scrimmage opportunity with the Eau Claire Blugolds. This is thanks to a lot of work behind the scenes from Gophers head coach Paul O’Brien and the Blugolds head coach Andrew Boucher. Both teams learned many valuable skills from this session and the Gophers are ready to continue the improvement while they gear up for their first conference game at Nebraska.
Gophers Gear Up for Action-Packed 2025 Fall Schedule
Minneapolis, MN – The University of Minnesota Men's Rugby team has unveiled its exciting 2025 fall conference schedule for the Heart of America Conference. The Gophers are ready for a challenging season, welcoming new rivals and aiming for a championship run.
The season kicks off September 20th at Nebraska, followed by two home games: September 27th against Iowa and October 4th hosting new conference member Wayne State. The team then travels to Des Moines on October 11th to face Mizzou, another new addition to the northern division, before wrapping up the regular season at home against Iowa State on October 18th.
Playoffs begin November 8th, with the Heart of America Championship Weekend set for November 15th. All game times are TBD. The Gophers are eager to build on their past success and compete for the conference title this fall.
University of Minnesota Men's Rugby - 2025 Heart of America Conference Schedule:
September 20: at Nebraska
September 27: vs. Iowa (Home)
October 4: vs. Wayne State (Home)
October 11: vs. Mizzou (in Des Moines)
October 18: vs. Iowa State (Home)
November 8: Playoffs (Location TBD)
November 15: Heart of America Championship Weekend (Location TBD)
**All game times are TBD and are subject to change.