Following the first day of the Ko-Yon Games where Yonsei University (YU) took the lead by winning the ice hockey and baseball matches, the rugby game was filled with anticipation and nerves as it was Korea University’s (KU) last chance to recover from its losses and keep its shot at winning the competition.

Since the rugby match of 2022 culminated with a sweeping victory from KU at a score of 57-24 against YU, the young tigers had high hopes that a similar game would be played this year, 2023. The match took place in Goyang Stadium starting at 11:00 A.M. and lasting for approximately 85 minutes, which was divided into two forty-minute halves. Though there was not as large a gap in the score this time around compared to last year’s match, KU still managed to win the game and achieve a final score of 41-27 against YU.

KU was the first to score a try during the first half of the game, but it failed to score a conversion kick thus only getting five points. YU quickly followed with a goal of its own changing the score to 5-7. A back-and-forth of kicks and goals ensued, which continued throughout all of the first half, with neither team able to completely overpower the other. The players’ similar heights and body weights, in addition to their strong defense strategies, made it difficult for any to take the lead, concluding the first 40 minutes of the game with a tie at 17-17.

As the second half of the game started, the cheers from KU students grew louder, hoping to motivate the players and help the team take the lead. During the first 15 minutes, the situation from the first half repeated itself with one team chasing after the other. However, once KU managed to score twice in a row and change the score to 31-24, the flow of the game was altered and the team’s winning streak began. Their offense pierced through YU’s defense and they accomplished try after try. On the other hand, YU’s rugby team, thrown off by the sudden change in the atmosphere, was unable to catch up, thus increasing the gap between both universities. The game eventually came to an end, and KU was declared the winning team of the match with an advantage of 14 points.

Thanks to the players’ efforts and their determination, as well as the students to keep KU afloat in the competition, the total score of the Ko-Yon Games became tied. With four games done, that only left the soccer match to determine which university would take the win home.