The Arizona men’s club rugby team will host Texas in a nonconference match at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rincon Vista Sports Complex.

All four UA teams – varsity, junior varsity, rookie and “”C”” – will be in action. It will, however, be the varsity team’s only home game of the fall.

Arizona (2-1) has a squeaky clean 4-0 all-time record against Texas (2-2-1). The Wildcats last faced the Longhorns in 2005 and won the game 37-19.

Arizona’s only loss this season came in the form of a 22-5 loss at Sacramento.

“”They led much of the first half just like (the) Oregon (football team did against Arizona) last weekend,”” said 31-year Arizona rugby head coach Dave Sitton. “”There’s something about teams in black and green uniforms.””

The Wildcats are vying to improve on their 9-7 record from last season. Sitton said the team has introduced a new offense to the program “”because the laws of rugby have changed. It looks a little more like American football now,”” he said.

“”For years, when there was a rugby tackle, it was about 60-40 to the offense,”” Sitton said. “”But now we have an expectancy to keep the ball 80-90 percent of the time.””

Sitton said one thing that has helped the Wildcats improve drastically from last year has been the continued dedication from strength and conditioning coach Glenn Howell, a former tight end for the UA football team who is now in his fourth season with the rugby team.

“”He has helped change the culture of our program,”” Sitton said, “”where players don’t see fitness as a drudgery, but as an opportunity.””