Rugby Carrying Momentum Into Alumni Game, Regular Season

Cal Maritime Rugby will hold their annual, on-campus alumni game Saturday, December 2 at 3 p.m. at Bodnar Field, which will be followed by an alumni banquet at 6:30 p.m. in the Compass Room.

The Maritime Rugby team has had a busy "offseason," and the alumni game is part of kicking off the regular season which begins on January 14 at home against Claremont College.

Since last season ended, the Keelhaulers have qualified for the National Small College Rugby Organization's 7's Championship. It's a tournament like 7-on-7 football or 3-on-3 basketball that leads to wide-open, fast-paced rugby.

Cal Maritime went 4-0 in the tournament, and advanced to the championship after a thrilling, 20-19 victory over powerhouse Claremont. The Championship will be held in June 2-3 at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia.

The Keelhaulers also had impressive preseason victories over D-1AA opponents Long Beach State 26-13 and UC Santa Cruz 58-19. Rugby Head Coach Steve Hiatt is excited about the state of the program going into the regular season and about celebrating its history with this Saturday's Alumni Game which is one of his favorite parts of directing Cal Maritime Rugby.

"We always look forward to our alumni returning and reconnecting with our team and the school, and are extremely appreciative of their support," Coach Hiatt said. "The Alumni not only contribute and support the program, but they help cadets understand the realities of the shipping and logistics industries as well as provide a fantastic networking resource that are actively used by everyone from cadet-interns, newly minted graduates, and industry veterans."

For more information about the Alumni game contact Head Coach Steve Hiatt at 510-333-9501. Tickets can be purchased via the Facebook event page for the banquet.