NTU Rugby Celebrates 70th Anniversary

The National Taiwan University Rugby Team was joined by hundreds of its alumni from Taiwan and abroad to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Oct. 24. The celebrations began in the morning with a birthday ceremony and lunch banquet graced by the presence of University officials, the media, and the finest of the varsity’s community, also known as “Old Boys.” The morning session was then followed by an afternoon of friendly yet intense rugby games held on the NTU field.

The NTU Buffaloes is one of the most historic rugby teams in Taiwan; it is also among the longest-sustaining university varsities in the nation. According to the event’s organizer Yi-Hui Tsao(曹以會), no other university varsity in Taiwan has produced as many outstanding alumni and legendary tales while still maintaining a consistent spirit of greatness over the course of 70 years.

The NTU Rugby Team was initially established in 1946 as the NTU Buffaloes following the nation’s restoration from Japanese rule. In the first few years of its establishment, members of the Buffaloes formed the base of the Taipei City Rugby Team, a team that dominated Taiwan’s rugby scene for many years. After it was formally reorganized as the university varsity, the team continued in the tradition as one of the strongest rugby teams among the nation’s universities.

70 years later, members of the historic team are still bonded by their shared memories on and off the field as the earliest members, now in their 90s, join the 20-year-old college students in celebrating their team’s birthday.

Another highlight of the day was the official announcement of the newly-established NTU Women’s Rugby Team. The team is also known as the “Eight-Nation Alliance” as it consists of players from up to eight countries across the globe. In honor of the historical day, the girls were lined up against their over-60s counterparts, taking home a 10-0 win against their seniors.

The Old Boys in red and yellow shorts, representing the over 60s and 70s categories respectively, also put on a great fight against each other. The 30 players from both teams amounted up to 1,800 years of age! For more information, visit the NTU Rugby website , or go to the anniversary Facebook fan page.