Brown Opens Scholars Cup With 32-17 Win Over UCLA

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Theo Romero’s counterattack try halted UCLA’s second-half rally as The Brown University men’s rugby team secured a 32-17 victory in its Scholars Cup debut Saturday, Oct. 10, in Westwood, California. In a dominant display that was instrumental to the team's victory, allowing the Bears to generate scoring opportunities and control territory, the Brown forwards earned six penalties from scrums.

The inaugural FirstPoint USA Scholars Cup began Saturday, Sept. 26, when Dartmouth College defeated the University of Notre Dame 48-3 at Dartmouth College. Sponsored by FirstPoint USA, the first-of-its-kind tournament brings together powerhouse college rugby clubs Brown, Dartmouth, Notre Dame, and UCLA for a six-match competition that will determine its first champion through season-long standings.

In the first-ever meeting between Brown and UCLA, Erik Estienne opened the scoring at 12:30, peeling off the back of a lineout maul and running through two defenders to get over the goal line. Tito Edjua converted for a 7-0 lead. UCLA answered with a close-range pick-and-go try at 22:00, but Brown’s scrum quickly helped produce a response. After a defensive scrum win, Romero scored around the edge at 24:30. Quinn Miller added a pick-and-go try near the goal line at the end of the first half, sending Brown into halftime ahead 17-5.

Edjua extended the advantage to 20-5 with a penalty kick at 51:15. UCLA then turned a lineout maul into a pick-and-go try at 58:00 and added the conversion, trimming a 15-point deficit to eight. That brought the home side within 20-12 before Brown answered with two tries in less than six minutes.

Romero struck again at 60:15, finishing out wide from a counterattack for his second try, a team-leading 5th of the season. Inigo Langford followed at 65:45, beating multiple defenders to touch it down, after Brown moved the ball through several sets of hands. Edjua converted to make it 32-12, completing a seven-point performance with two conversions and a penalty kick. UCLA scored the final try at 71:00 on a pick-and-go from a penalty. Brown finished with five tries to UCLA’s three.

The Scholars Cup tournament continues Friday, Oct. 16, when UCLA visits Notre Dame at 8 p.m. Eastern time for NCR’s Friday Night Rugby broadcast on NCR TV. Brown’s next Scholars Cup match is during the University's annual Family Weekend event on Saturday, Oct. 24, at home against Notre Dame. UCLA visits Dartmouth that same day, with both cup matches scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern time, and streaming for those matches will be provided by the host schools.

Brown will host Dartmouth on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. Eastern in the final fixture of The Scholars Cup schedule. Before returning to cup play, Brown plays Syracuse on the road in its next Liberty Rugby Conference contest Saturday, Oct. 17.

TIME SCORING SUMMARY BROWN- OPP.

12:30 Brown Try, Erik Estienne 5 - 0

Brown Conversion, Tito Edjua 7 - 0

22:00 UCLA Try 7 - 5

24:30 Brown Try, Theo Romero 12 - 5

40:00 Brown Try, Quinn Miller 17 - 5

HALFTIME SCORE Brown 17 - 5 UCLA

51:15 Brown Penalty Kick, Tito Edjua 20 - 5

58:00 UCLA Try 20 - 10

UCLA Conversion 20 - 12

60:15 Brown Try, Theo Romero 25 - 12

60:15 Brown Try, Inigo Langford 30 - 12

Brown Conversion, Tito Edjua 32 - 12

71:00 UCLA Try 32 - 17

FINAL SCORE Brown 32- 17 UCLA

BROWN ROSTER

1 Patrick Minihane G'27

2 Erik Estienne '28

3 Asa Rosenmeier '27 (VC)

4 Quinn Miller '29

5 Rowe Stodolnic '27

6 John Cox G'27

7 Benjamin Slattery '30 - off at 34:00 (blood sub), on at 36:00

8 Harry de Rosee '30

9 Charm Tuala '28

10 Bobby Voth G'27

11 Theo Romero '27 - off at 68:00

12 St John Smith '28

13 Tito Edjua '27 (C)

14 Marco Lapierre '28

15 Inigo Langford '29

16 Ittetsu Hoshi '29

18 Bertie Deen

19 Mikey Lau '27

20 Ben Le Roux

21 Cameron Kean '29 - on at flanker at 34:00 (blood sub), off at 36:00

22 Thomas Bouchard '28

23 Malcolm Grant '27

24 Wolfe Morn G'27 - on at wing at 68:00