Despite a day of contested calls by the referees, the Texas A&M men’s rugby White squad came out on top in the CSTAT Classic Tournament at Penberthy Fields on March 23, bolstering hopes the season will lead to a 2025 championship run.

The White squad fought to end the tournament with a 5-0 sweep for the day, defeating Sam Houston State 26-5 in Game 5. The Aggies also defeated Houston, LeTourneau and both the Green and White teams of North Texas throughout the tournament. While the A&M Black squad fought hard against tough competition, it fell 17-5 to Sam Houston, ending the nonconference tournament 2-3. 

This is the first tournament the squads have played under new head coach Tui Osborne, who noted the players finally hit their mark during the day-long event. 

“Everyone is playing unselfish rugby, which is getting us on the scoreboard,” Osborne said. “We have worked hard for this. The key for these tournaments is to gradually progress throughout the day.” 

The White squad showcased their improvement by taking possession of the ball and using a structured attack, said team captain and sports management junior Joey Garcia. Pivotal moments were able to happen when the players found the gap on the edge, rather than cutting up the middle of the field.

Garcia led the momentum for the White squad from the front, with engineering graduate and Vice-Captain Nathan Sieberhagen at fly-half, orchestrating attack after attack with skill and composure. 

“We have been playing with our structure, which we really hoped for,” Sieberhagen said. “Our coach really planned well for this — the boys are energetic, just loving life.” 

Although the A&M Black squad fell short, mechanical engineering sophomore scrum-half Jake Do was a consistent threat, aided by kinesiology junior Ruben Ribeiro, who carried the ball and broke through several tackles while gaining crucial yardage. 

Garcia noted the Aggies have improved after every practice, and then implemented and applied key takeaways from gameplay throughout the day. 

“Our new coach has motivated us, helped us to grow culture, and build our team back up to what it should be,” Garcia said. “It actually feels like we are being coached for once.” 

Sieberhagen added that the key to continuing the wins will be executing to the coach’s high standards for the rest of the season. 

“We want to be the best team in Texas,” Sieberhagen said.

The Aggies are back in action at the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference on April 12 at Country Club Park in Greer, South Carolina.