PALO ALTO, Calif. — UCLA Men's Rugby traveled to Stanford University this past weekend for the second leg of the West Coast Sevens series at Steuber Rugby Stadium. After reaching the championship final in the opening round in Los Angeles, the Bruins couldn't replicate that form in Palo Alto, finishing 1-2 in pool play and missing out on progression to the knockout stages.

The day opened with a very slow start in a matchup with Grand Canyon University (GCU), where UCLA couldn't find their rhythm and fell 7–33 to a well-drilled side. The second match brought another challenge against Call II, with the Bears proving clinical in attack to take a 35–10 win despite some bright moments from the Bruins and a more focused approach in their game.

UCLA finished the day on a high note, producing their most complete performance in a 33-5 victory over hosts Stanford. The Bruins made several changes to the roster and rediscovered their tempo and accuracy on attack, showing resilience and composure to close the tournament with a strong result.

Head Coach Harry Bennett reflected on the mixed day of results:

"A really disappointing day considering our expectations and goals. We didn't get the outcomes we were hoping for but taking positives where we can, these tournaments are all about learning and testing our young squad against quality opposition. The response in that final game showed what we are capable of and the experience our younger players are getting in this environment is invaluable for the season ahead."

With the sevens series wrapping up in 2 weeks time in San Diego, the Bruins will shift focus back to their XV's campaign later this fall — taking the lessons from Palo Alto to sharpen their systems and build consistency as they continue their 2025–26 season. These tournaments on a fundamental level are great exposure and experience for the younger players ahead of an exciting XV's schedule coming up.