A fall midwest college rugby tradition was made even more traditional this week as Ohio State took on Bowling Green.

This weekend was the 50th anniversary of Bowling Green State Rugby, and the day featured a series of games including some alumni (picture further down the page). It was also a celebration of the rivalry with Ohio State, which started back in 1968.

For the undergraduate men, the result ended not in Bowling Green's favor, as Ohio State took a relatively error-strewn game 27-12.

"It was a start," said Ohio State head coach Tom Rooney. "There was a big crowd because of the 50th anniversary. I saw lots of people from years past, and that was fun."

Ohio State got a nice performance from flanker Ben Richards, who was dependable on defense and scored two tries — one off a lineout-and-maul, and one off a pick-and-go near the line. No. 8 Nate Heister was strong in the air, while the backline, including Ronan Forestal and Andrew Baldado performed well, while wing Nate Taylor scored a superb try chasing a kick from Forestal. New center Ryan Bradfield — a transfer from UCLA — also scored a try. 

"Lots of knock-ons," added Rooney. "But it's a beginning, and against a worthy opponent that we've played now for 50 years. We were honored to be invited up for that special celebration."

It was a good start for Ohio State and not a bad one for Bowling Green, which will be looking to challenge for a D1AA national title once more.