BERKELEY – California rugby will open the gates of Witter Rugby Field for the first time in 2025 as the Golden Bears host Utah Valley and UC Santa Cruz in a doubleheader on Saturday. The pair of matches will kick off a six-fixture home slate for the Bears over the next four weekends. The contest against the Wolverines is set for 1 p.m. PT and kickoff against the Banana Slugs is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
 
Utah Valley suffered defeats against BYU and Air Force last fall, but picked up impressive wins over New Mexico (49-7) and Colorado (43-19). The Wolverines bring a two-match win streak to Strawberry Canyon for their first competition of 2025.
 
Cal and Utah Valley last met on Feb. 8, 2018 in Berkeley when the Bears routed the Wolverines, 106-7. Sixteen tries were scored by nine different players in the contest, led by then-sophomore wing Sam Cusano with four. The match also featured Bear alums Christian Dyer and Ken Kurihara, who, after graduation, both went on to play internationally for Team USA and Team Japan, respectively.
 
UCSC comes to Berkeley with a four-game winning streak in 2024-25 competition, which includes a 12-0 win over Stanford and a 34-24 defeat over UC Davis.
 
Cal and UCSC last met for 15-a-side action at the 2022 Dennis Storer Classic in Los Angeles. The Bears defeated the Banana Slugs 29-0 en route to clinching the tournament title. UCSC last visited Berkeley on Jan. 21, 2017, when the Bears shutout the Banana Slugs 81-0.
 
Cal is coming off a 57-14 win at Cal Poly last weekend in its first competition of 2025. After allowing the Mustangs to score two converted tries in the first half, the Bears shut out Cal Poly in the second period, scoring five unanswered tries on their way to victory.
 
With two matches on the docket Saturday, several student-athletes have their hands up for opportunities to see early-season playing time.
 
"We will split our team and send out our best frosh-soph team, which includes players who have, and could continue to, start for our best 15," Cal head coach Jack Clark said. "The match versus UC Santa Cruz will feature our upperclassmen and will be a more experienced side."
 
Entry to the facility will begin at Noon on Saturday, and tickets for the doubleheader can be purchased online in advance here. Concessions will be sold on site with cashless forms of payment accepted. Follow this link for more information about gameday guidelines at Witter Rugby Field. Fans unable to attend in person can watch the Bears vs. the Wolverines live on ESPN+.
 
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