The Bruins will take on the University of Michigan this Saturday in the opening game of their 2026 NCR Premier XV campaign. This coincides with the first UCLA Men's Rugby match to be broadcast through SchoolsSports.tv.
The partnership connects UCLA Rugby directly with the global school rugby community, particularly the UK, where SchoolsSports.tv already broadcasts some of the biggest school rugby events and competitions.
For UCLA Director of Rugby and Head Coach Harry Bennett, the partnership is about much more than broadcasting one game.
"We have an opportunity to introduce UCLA, our players and the college rugby pathway to young players who may never have considered the United States as part of their rugby journey," said Bennett. "SchoolsSports.tv gives us a direct connection into an incredibly important rugby audience. We want UCLA Rugby to be visible to that next generation and show what American college rugby can offer."
Connecting School and College Rugby
SchoolsSports.tv is part of the SOCS ecosystem and provides live and on-demand coverage of school sport, with a particular focus on rugby. It is the exclusive streaming partner of the Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s – the world's largest school rugby tournament – and showcases leading school rugby program including Northampton School for Boys, Wellington, Whitgift and Eton.
The UCLA Rugby partnership creates a natural link between that established school rugby audience and the growing US college game.
UCLA is entering a new era of competition through the NCR Premier Division, with a national schedule that includes Brown, Dartmouth, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. The program is also looking to build its international profile and create new opportunities for players, schools, partners and supporters.
For talented young players in the UK and elsewhere, that could mean discovering a new pathway combining high-level rugby with a US university education.
"We want young rugby players watching this game to see UCLA as a possibility," added Bennett. "If they have ambitions academically and on the rugby field, we want them to understand that there is a pathway into college rugby in the United States."
From a School Rugby Touchline to the US College Game
The partnership also has a personal connection for SOCS, which began more than 25 years ago on the touchline of a school rugby match in Wales.
"Over twenty years later, we're thrilled to be playing our part in growing the game we love through SchoolsSports.tv and this landmark partnership with UCLA Rugby and the wider collegiate game in the United States," said James Kershaw-Naylor, Director Commercial and Product at SOCS
"Good luck to Harry and the Bruins, and to the Wolverines."
The partnership could also open the door to future collaborations between UCLA, SchoolsSports.tv and the wider school rugby community, including international school relationships, content and sponsorship opportunities and potential rugby camps in the UK and around the world
For UCLA Men's Rugby, Saturday represents more than the opening game of a new season.
It is the first broadcast of a new era, and an opportunity to introduce UCLA Rugby to the next generation of players, supporters and partners around the world.
The new era starts in Westwood.
The audience is global.
🏉 UCLA Men's Rugby vs University of Michigan
📅 Saturday, 26 September 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM PST Kickoff
📺 Watch exclusively on SchoolsSports.tv, powered by Joymo --> CLICK HERE
