The Oregon Club Sports men’s rugby team is faced with two options: a chance at nationals, or going home.
And who better to have this deciding game against then the Ducks’ favorite rival, Oregon State?
The Ducks must beat the Beavers, and Washington must win because of the point differential. If both these scenarios happen, the Oregon men will advance to nationals on March 31 in California.
The Ducks are coming off a loss to California, but they executed extremely well. Oregon head coach Bob Snyder said that if Oregon can play like that against OSU, his team will win by 60.
“I just want to punish them and put as many points up as possible,” Snyder said.
The two rivals will go head-to-head and heart-against-heart at 1 p.m. Saturday on Southbank Field.

Women’s water polo to face rival
The Oregon women’s water polo team competes in the Regional tournament this weekend in Tacoma, Wash., in its most important match so far.
“The only games that matter are the ones this weekend and in the championships in a month,” Oregon head coach Lea Bonebrake said.
The Ducks have a tremendous amount of depth this season — they enter the tournament ranked 18th in national standings — and feel confident about their chances of winning. In a tournament in Santa Cruz on Feb. 10-11, the Oregon women defeated a No. 7 team twice and lost by only two points to the No. 2 team.
“I feel confident and think we will do well,” Bonebrake said.
This tournament determines the seedings for the championship tournament, which is only a month away. The Ducks have a few hurdles to jump along the way, including Washington, the defending national champion, which Oregon plays this weekend.
“They [Huskies] aren’t expecting us to do anything, so we want to sneak up behind and surprise them,” Bonebrake said. “This tournament should really bring them [Ducks] together.

Baseball opens season
It’s a brand-new season for the Oregon men’s baseball team as it steps up to the plate this weekend in its first tournament in Sunnyside, Wash.
With a younger team this year, including just six returnees, the Ducks remain optimistic about playing against Montana, Eastern Washington and Idaho this Saturday.
“We have more depth this year and look solid,” senior coordinator Regan Schaller said.
Last year, the men finished out their season with a 6-5 record but didn’t have such a positive outcome in their season-ending league tournament. The Ducks entered that tournament ranked second but were knocked out in the first round as the season came to an abrupt stop without advancing to regionals.
The Oregon men now will test themselves in a new year against strong teams.
“I want to see how we look on the field and establish team unity,” Oregon head coach Kurt Langworthy said. “We will at least come away with two victories.”

Men’s ultimate faces strong competition
The Oregon men’s ultimate team is traveling south this weekend to compete in a 16-team tournament in Stanford.
The Ducks will be a little shorthanded with four players out to injury, though some may play. Oregon head coach Josh Greenough is expecting the middle players to step it out.
“This gives them the opportunity to show how good they really are,” Greenough said.
The men have pool play on Saturday, and the competition is going to be intense. The Ducks face Brown, the defending national champion, while Oregon’s other two opponents — California and North Carolina Wilmington — will be seeking revenge. The Oregon men defeated Cal twice last fall, and knocked off host North Carolina-Wilmington at its own home tournament last year.
“We want at least a strong showing in the semifinals,” Greenough said. “Top to bottom we are one of the best teams in the country.”