The UC Santa Cruz men’s rugby team defeated Stanford University, earning a spot in the Pacific West Rugby Conference playoffs.
The Banana Slugs won 59-31, finishing third in the Pacific West Rugby Conference.
"Beating Stanford at Stanford was the highlight of my coaching career," said head coach Robbie Bellue. "I haven't felt this good since 1993 when I played for UC Berkeley and beat Stanford at Stanford."
The Slugs start their playoff drive versus Chico State University on April 1st.
“We’re really proud of the way the boys played," assistant coach Jeremy Sanford said. "All season long we’ve focused on the process of getting better and playing the game the right way. Ultimately that path led us to our first victory over Stanford University and third place in the Pac West. The Slugs have a lot of weapons and we really expect the team to shine on the big stage.
"We owe a great deal of thanks for the tremendous support from our alumni, the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, and the staff at OPERS who kept our season on track in the face of a pretty tough winter weather cycle. ”
