Four teams in California will collide for the first California Rugby State Championship this Saturday at UCLA. The day will start with the third place match where Saint Augustine from San Diego will play athletic powerhouse De La Salle from Concord. In the Championship match Saint John Bosco from Bellflower will play Jesuit of Sacramento.

‘We are extremely excited to play in the California Rugby State Championship’, stated Saint Augustine Forwards Coach Ethan Willis. ‘This game represents a great step forward for high school rugby in California. Each school participating has a historic athletic pedigree and their participation in the State Championship illustrates the support each school has garnered from its respective athletic department.’

All four schools are ranked in the top 25 in America by Flo Rugby with Jesuit, Bosco and Saint Augustine all being ranked in the top ten.

In the third place game Saints will look for set piece dominance from senior lock Ryan McNamara and senior hooker Michael Cross. Cross led the SCIRF in scoring in 2019 with 18 tries in 7 league games. While De La Salle’s will depend on Senior lock Michael Puckett and eight man Nick Laughlin to keep their powerful forwards on the front foot.

In the Championship match High School All American’s Junior Gafa and George Halani anchor an exciting Bosco attack that had the highest scoring average in SCIRF play in 2019. The most intriguing matchup of the day will be Jesuit eight man and All American Laiatu Latu versus the very powerful Cryille Cama from Bosco. Jesuit will rely on it’s structured attack and experienced backline to remain California’s perennial top high school team.

To cap off the spectacular day, #2 Cal will play #15 UCLA at 2:15pm. All games will be streamed live on the UCLA Rugby Facebook page. Tickets for the day are $10.00 at the gate.

The California Rugby State Championship is proudly sponsored by the San Diego Legion, NIKE Rugby Camps and Irvine Enterprises.