By Harry Tarrant- Photos: Steve Marcotte

Oceanside CA— The Chiefs home opener was a hard fought game that pinned Oceanside (1-2) against Pasadena (1-2) in a rematch of the 2014 Southern California Rugby Football Union Division II Championship game.
Pasadena opened up against the Chiefs with a “Try” or score in the first 10 minutes. A “Try” is worth 5 points in Rugby and is scored by touching down the ball inside the opponents goal-line. After a Try, the scoring team has the opportunity to kick the ball, off the ground, for a “conversion” worth two points.
Oceanside answered with a quick Try of its own to even the score 7-7. A couple of more scores by Pasadena had the Chiefs trailing 31-14 after 65 minutes of the game. A rugby game is 80 minutes long with 40 minute halves and stoppage time similar to soccer.
Oceanside came back strong with two quick scores and a penalty kick to even the score at 31.
With less than 5 minutes to go before the final whistle, Oceanside marched down the field with hard hitting defense and very strong ball possession but a turnover late enabled Pasadena to make a strong surge. With time running out, Pasadena was awarded a penalty kick. The kick was successful and at the final whistle, the score was 34-31.
It was a huge loss for the Oceanside Chiefs which had only it’s 2nd loss at home since the team began in 2012. The game was a rematch of the 2014 Southern California Rugby Football Union Division II Championship game which Oceanside won in double overtime, 43-36
This is the first year the Oceanside Chiefs will compete in Division I of the Southern California Rugby Union. The Las Vegas and Pasadena clubs join the Chiefs in the move to Division I in 2015.
Despite being a relativity new Rugby Club, the Chiefs won the Open Division (2012) with a record of 8-2. In 2013, the Oceanside Chiefs were the undefeated National Champions for Division III in the USA Rugby Union.
For more information about the Oceanside Chiefs Rugby team, visit their website [Link]

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2015 Oceanside Chiefs Schedule

Home games are played at Martin Luther King Jr Middle School, 1290 Ivey Ranch Road