Men's Club Rugby

History of Team

Over the past 3 years, the team has been rebuilding since its struggles with COVID-19. In the past year, the team has made major strides in the right direction and we have almost doubled our number of athletes. Halfway through the past spring season, the leaders stepped up and changed the culture of the program leading the team to a 3-1 record in its final 4 games. This included a major 42-12 win against long-time rival Santa Clara University! Over the summer, the team took another step in a positive direction hiring former USA Eagle Ryan Matyas to take over the team. With a new mentality and leadership team, SDSU Rugby looks to restore its legacy as a perennial top-20 program, but our student-athletes can’t do it by themselves.

Recent Successes or Struggles

The signing of new Head Coach, former Team USA / Professional Rugby Player Ryan Matyas. Coach Matyas comes to the Aztecs with over 13 years of coaching experience from youth, USA Youth National Development Programs, San Diego Legion Academy & Division 1 men's program.

With the recent step down of Coach Matyas, our team is looking to hire a new head coach for the program, that can build upon the foundation that Coach Matyas has built within the program. The standard is the highest it has been as the club is really looking to compete at the highest level of collegiate rugby and earn back a spot in the top 20.

We’ve taken a step in the right direction with a 3-1 record in the last 4 games of the season and look to ride that momentum into the 2025-26 season.

Breakdown of Highest Costs

Travel is our biggest expense. We travel with anywhere from 30 - 40 athletes, 3 coaches, and 1 medical staff. Travel includes team bus or flights, 3 meals, and 1 night stay at a hotel. This allows our team the best possible opportunity to “Win the travel day” and give us the best opportunity to win. Our shortest drive time is 6 hours and the longest is 8.5 hours, with four out of eight of our league games on the road to UC Davis, Cal Poly, Sac State, and Santa Clara.

Having the ability to take a team bus or fly allows student-athletes to have extra study time and not be responsible for driving long hours on the road. It is mentally and physically taxing, adds stress and detracts from their own preparation to compete.

Team meals while we are traveling are extremely important as the right fuel can make or break a team's opportunity to optimally compete. Although Burgers & pizza are affordable they do not put our athletes in the best place to compete.

Call to action as to why the team needs help.

As we begin this new chapter, our numbers at training have increased, and our intensity and focus are ramping up as we aim to bring the program back to a top 20 in the nation, a playoff-contending team, and need your help to get us there!

Support SDSU Rugby Success

What is the SDSU Club Rugby Team?

The SDSU Club Rugby team is a high level competitive sports team with more than 40 active players. The team consists of a diverse group of athletes ranging from freshman to even a few grad students. We’re committed to creating an environment of selflessness, discipline, loyalty, and respect both on and off the field.

What we have accomplished:

This year, the SDSU Rugby team made major strides on and off the field. We fielded two teams in the West Coast 7s, reaching the Plate Final and showing strong potential. In the D1A California Conference, we finished 3-1 in our final stretch with key wins over UC Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and Sacramento State, led by a young roster with five freshman starters. Off the field, we raised accountability standards, built a new team identity around Selfless, Discipline, Relentless, and Loyalty, and brought in our largest rookie class in nearly a decade with 27 new players. We collected a program-record $47,000 in dues, improved player development and training conditions, and added three new sponsors: Spellman Performance, Therabody, and Vitawild Hydration, making this a standout year of growth and progress.

Why we need your help:

The goals of our campaign are to fund for a new head coach with the step down of last year's Coach Ryan Matyas as well as travel both in and out of state. As we step into the new year, our numbers have continued to grow and more players are buying in. The intensity and focus of our team is increasing exponentially but we need your help to continue this momentum.

A dedicated head coach will provide the consistency and structure that our team needs to build a playoff contending team. As well, traveling by team bus or plane gives student-athletes more time to study and recover, reducing stress from long drives. Team meals are also crucial, while cheap options like burgers and pizza are convenient, they don’t provide the nutrition needed for peak performance. Currently our part-time wages, transportation/lodging, and food, account for around 70% of our team's spending.

Your support will help us secure a new head coach and cover essential travel and nutrition costs. You’ll be investing directly in the growth, performance, and future success of SDSU Rugby. Join us in pushing this team to the next level.