NEWS

Pro rugby’s Utah Warriors optimistic about the future after Year No. 1

Photo: Davey Wilson

When a first-year team sets up to compete with first-year players in a first-year league, everyone expects there to be a myriad of unknowns.

A few months later, however, when the inaugural season has come to a close, then there is a little more clarity.

That’s the situation for the Utah Warriors, who recently wrapped up their first season in pro rugby.

After a season of ups and downs, the team (which features a number of former BYU rugby stars on the roster and a former Cougar coach as the CEO/general manager in Kimball Kjar) ended up 3-5 in the Major League Rugby regular season but still earned a playoff spot.

“I’m pleased with the successes we had but we saw things that we need to work to improve on,” Kjar said in a phone interview last week. “We led the league in many offensive categories including points and tries, but we have to improve on finishing games.”