"Crouch, touch, pause... ENGAGE!"

My friends, the 2008-2009 season has finally arrived; the anxiously awaited debut of the Cougar Club has come! This Thursday, the BYU Men face off against UC Davis and later against Stanford at the infamous Steuber Rugby Stadium on Saturday. The Cougars' performance in these two tests looks to set a solid platform for the rest of the season and later, the Collegiate National Championship Tournament.

This past Saturday morning, I had occasion to catch a glimpse of the team during warm ups and drills before the classic Blue & White scrimmage. Although I had to leave before the scrimmage started, nevertheless I was pleased to see that all the players maintained a good sense of order and unity. Additionally, I observed that the majority of the players, though not above average in terms of height, nevertheless boasted substantial size and strength. I was further excited to see many new players in the crowd, most of which already looked convincing in ball-handling and decision-making situations.

Of course, the BYU Men's Rugby team roster still boasts a solid group of returning starters. On the field, I saw several familiar faces in returning captain Steve St. Pierre, fullback Sam Thorley, the dynamic South African duo of Dylan Lubbe and Shaun Davies, forward Ra Lawrence, talented backs Vito Qaqa, Apenisa Malani, and Dan Paul, fullback Nate Maughan, big prop Mike Su'a and experienced back Manti Su'a, and the dominating Viliami Vimahi (Pila). While this season will see some of these players starting at new positions (in some cases, more ideal than those previous), nevertheless all Cougar fans can rest assured that they will bring the same energy and presence as before... and this year, with a more experienced secondary in close support.

2008 - 2009 Schedule

2008 - 2009 Roster

From here on out, I will post any thoughts and observations throughout the course of each match this season, as well as any extra information gathered from coaches, players, and fans. Feel free to submit comments at the end of any post with suggestions, thoughts, and opinions.