Preview: men’s rugby looking for a come back

VICTORIA – The University of Victoria men's rugby team opens their 2025-26 campaign on Saturday, September 14, at 2:30 p.m. when they a difficult opening weekend against Langford's Pacific Pride on Wallace Field.

After a turbulent 2024-25 season, the Vikes are hungry to climb back into contention at the top of Canadian university rugby. Head coach Scott Manning enters his fifth year as head coach, having guided UVic to four consecutive appearances at the Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship (CUMRC) since taking over in June 2021 from longtime leader Doug Tate.

Last fall, the Vikes bowed out in the CUMRC quarterfinals to Queen's but responded with back-to-back wins over Ottawa and UBCO to finish fifth nationally. However, the squad returns all five of last year's CUMRC's inaugural class All-Canadians, including Jordy Auger, Morgan Di Nardo, Sion Griffiths, Brendan Kim, and Merlin M'Cloud.

From the coach's desk:

"Last year, as a team, we felt like we under performed, so this year we are ready to establish a new identity and bounce back. The athletes have a bit of a chip on their shoulder, which has brought great energy to the first month of the season, and they're itching to show their actual identity, which we weren't able to do last season," said Manning.

Key returners

Merlin M'Cloud
Fifth-year captain M'Cloud returns for his final season. A walk-on with the junior varsity Saxons, M'Cloud's journey has become a program-defining story. Earlier this month, the Prince Edward Island product was drafted in the third round of the 2025 MLR Collegiate Draft by Old Glory DC, an American professional rugby union team based in the Washington metropolitan area. Merlin will likely join them in the spring. A Canada West All-Star last season, his leadership and presence in the pack will be central to UVic's resurgence.

Morgan Di Nardo
Toronto's Di Nardo is one of the country's brightest young talents. A member of Canada's senior men's sevens squad and the Vikes' 2023 Rookie of the Year, Di Nardo earned First Team All-Star honours at last year's CUMRC after finishing as UVic's leading try-scorer. Dangerous from anywhere on the field, Di Nardo brings pace and composure beyond his years.

Ryder Heaney-Corns
Another fifth-year athlete, Ryder Heaney-Corns of Claremont Secondary, is coming off an outstanding 2024-25 season, where he was named the CUMRC back row player of the tournament. Heaney-Corns brings an unmatched energy to the field and has the ability to single-handedly turn a match around, which was evident on multiple occasions last season.

The talent doesn't stop there; the men's rugby program is stacked with up-and-coming athletes, including four who represented Canada's U20 men's team alongside DiNardo this summer at the Junior Pan Am Games. Spencer Cotie, Reece Thompson, Adam Doane, and Josh McIndoe are among the best young athletes in the country, all having previously represented Canada at the junior and senior levels. A year older and battle-tested, this group gives UVic the balance of youthful energy and international experience.

Incoming talent

Cooper Cotes
The Vikes welcome a significant addition in veteran back Cooper Cotes, a Nova Scotia native with an impressive international resumé. A senior national team mainstay, Cotes made his 15s debut for Canada in 2021 against Wales and has also represented the national sevens team. Cotes recently helped the Canadian men's side secure a 2026 World Cup qualification with a win over the USA. His most recent endeavours include suiting up for the New Orleans Gold of Major League Rugby and, now, while pursuing medicine at UVic, he brings top-level experience and leadership to a Vikes squad chasing a national title.

The men's rugby team has also expanded its coach-to-player ratio this season. With eight out of nine coaches being program alumni, Manning says it has significantly increased their capacity to drive individual performance.

With a blend of veteran leadership and rising national team talent, the Vikes have all the pieces to return to championship contention. The season opener against the Pacific Pride will provide an early benchmark, followed by a Canada West schedule that leaves little room for error.