The UCF Rugby season started off strong. With a solid recruiting class with a lot of numbers, the team was off to a good start. After a month of practice, the team was left with a solid group of new rugby players that showed their dedication to the sport, and to their teammates. The departure of a handful of experienced players in the backfield, and several in the forward pack, the new guys had a chance to show what they were made of, and just in time for the first game. Fielding a team that compromised a balanced mix of youth tempered with experience, the team set off to Tallahassee to play against The Florida State Seminoles. It was a hard game, and the new players proved that they could certainly keep up with the (slightly) older players, but the experience of the Seminoles team proved to be their undoing. After a tough loss, the team kept morale up high by getting back to practice the following Tuesday and going back to basics to improve their game. Almost a month later, the team was ready to show their stuff once again, this time against Eckerd University. Once again, the backfield showed that they were made of a tougher stuff than many people thought, and the forwards kept up the pressure throughout the game, winning many scrums and rucks. However, Eckerd fought back hard, and the Knights lost with a last second try, to end the game 21-14, favoring Eckerd. Regrouping and trying again, the Knights retreated to the practice field, to hone their field craft and to go over the basics once again, trusting in the players to keep in shape by running on their own time (which many should be doing even in the off-season). This time, the Knights were hosting the University of North Florida on their own turf. This game, turned into a nail biter with defense being excellent on both sides, and a couple of outstanding runs by the backfield. After a couple of fierce goal line defenses, North Florida triumphed, again, with a last second kick, to make the score 17-24.

Our next game was Homecoming Game, where the (much) older players that had graduated, never graduated, or never attended UCF, but somehow played for the team, showed up to challenge the new players to a rugby game. After a battle of unequaled proportions, and many substitutions made by the Alumni team, the Alumni's ran roughshod over the current Knight's, using their experience, age, and dirty old man tactics to triumph.

Using the experience gained, the hard way, and after many ice packs and cold refreshments later, the team took to the practice field, re-teaching the basics and using the hard won knowledge of the last three games to bolster their team and morale. And it showed with the next game being against University of South Florida, a rivalry that has existed since both Rugby teams were formed. Traveling to the Central Florida Fairgrounds, the Knights took on the South Florida Team. This was a match to go down in the record books. As each team had something to prove to the other. USF was in the hunt for the Florida Cup, and looking to score a win to bolster their record. While UCF was fighting to prove that they had the talent and determination to pull down an upset. With the lead changing many teams thanks to trys that almost seemed impossible, open field runs, and several questionable calls, for both sides, this game was turning into the hallmark of the Fall Rugby Season. With minutes left on the clock, and a tie game, UCF ran down the field, using what they had been taught for the last few months, winning the rucks, and moving the maul's forward, to within sight of the try zone. All seemed lost when the ball was inadvertently kicked out of bounds, granting USF the ball within their 22. But hope was not lost, as the lineout was won, and UCF gained the ball back, and promptly threw up another try right up the middle of the goalposts. And time expired, leaving both teams exhausted and bruised. The Final Score was 35-28, UCF.

With their season finished, UCF looks forward to the spring season. With the new found experience of the new guys being won on the pitch, and the older guys having a backup that's eyeing their position, the team is looking stronger then ever. All that remains to be seen, is how far the team is willing to go, to win that game, and if the USF-UCF game is any indication, UCF has their eyes on advancing in the National Playoff's.