The St. Edward’s University Rugby Football Club (RFC) held their first on-campus match since 1969, defeating the University of Texas-Dallas RFC 50-7 on Feb. 20.

The rugby match was part of the homecoming festivities, taking place despite muggy and overcast weather. A crowd of hundreds attended the match, cheering for St. Edward’s, as they routed UT-Dallas on the campus’ main soccer field.

“We don’t take any team lightly,” said SEU Rugby Coach Steve Corcoran, remarking on UT- Dallas’ readiness to make a match of it. “It was tough at the start. UT-Dallas came prepared.”

Currently ranked the No. 1 seed in their conference, as they have been for the last several years, the St. Edward’s rugby team is seeking a state championship title.

“We came out nervous, but once we settled down, we really brought our brand of play,” said general manager Brannen Ellyson, referring to SEU’s slow start in the first half, though possession was mostly in SEU’s favor.

“After the first thirty, we found our rhythm,” said Corcoran, referring to the team’s continued cohesion. “To their credit, they took control of the match. The reserves really lifted the tempo.”

The St. Edward’s RFC accelerated in the second half though, scoring a total of 50 unanswered points across the game before UT-Dallas scored a try in the last minute of play to put them on the board.