A player scores a try in the first half of the preseason game.
A San Diego Legion player scores a try in the first half of preseason game at USD. Photo by Chris Stone

A bonus: We get a Super Bowl of sorts.

The San Diego Legion rugby squad played its first home game — a preseason exhibition — Saturday night at the University of San Diego before a crowd of hundreds.

The Legion leaped to a 17-7 halftime lead at Torero Stadium, but went scoreless in the second half to fall 33-17 to the Houston SaberCats. (The new seven-team Major League Rugby circuit begins regular play April 21.)

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Players from both teams are lifted for the line-out throw. Photo by Chris Stone
A SaberCat player advances the ball during the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
A young fan raises a rally towel and screams out support for the Legion. Photo by Chris Stone
Two Legion players attempt to block a kick. Photo by Chris Stone
Music was provided for fans prior to the game. Photo by Chris Stone
The San Diego Legion’s first game of the regular season is April 29 at USD. Photo by Chris Stone
A Legion player kicks the ball at midfield. Photo by Chris Stone
A Legion player fights to push past an opponent. Photo by Chris Stone
A Legion player readies to pass to a teammate. Photo by Chris Stone
A young Legion fan holds a rally towel and watches intently. Photo by Chris Stone
A Legion player is congratulated after making a try in the first half. Photo by Chris Stone
A player scores a try in the first half of the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
The Legion scores a try in the first half of the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
Young fans cheer on the Legion during a preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
A San Diego Legion player passes to a teammate. Photo by Chris Stone
A San Diego Legion player tries to push past an opponent. Photo by Chris Stone
Houston SaberCats fans applaud their team as it scores a try. Photo by Chris Stone
Fans cheer for their teams in the preseason rugby game. Photo by Chris Stone
A Legion player runs to break past opponents in the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
A player from each team attempts to catch the ball in a line-out throw. Photo by Chris Stone
Hundreds of fans came out to watch an SDSU game and the following San Diego Legion game. Photo by Chris Stone
Legion players try to regain control of the ball. Photo by Chris Stone
A boy throws an errant ball back onto the field. Photo by Chris Stone
A Legion members gets the ball in a line-out throw. Photo by Chris stone
Player dig in during a scrum in the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
Hundreds of fans came out for the preseason game between the Legion and the Houston SaberCats. Photo by Chris Stone
Legion shirts and hats were sold before the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego Legion teammates enter USD’s Torero Stadium. Photo by Chris Stone
The San Diego Legion scored two tries and got two conversions during the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
Legion players lean hard in a scrum. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego Legion teammates quickly tackle a Houston SaberCats player. Photo by Chris Stone
Houston SaberCats defeated the San Diego Legion 33-17 in a preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone
Fans had a chance to get Legion player autographs before the preseason game. Photo by Chris Stone

“It was a game of two halves,” San Diego flanker Mungo Mason told Rugby Today. “The first half we had some shape and executed really well. Obviously in the second half, we came out firing and maybe got a little complacent. Houston’s good ball carriers really took it out of us.”

Mason, a New Zealand native who formerly played with Chicago, said the Legion wasn’t prepared for the Houston channel runners and their latch.

Before the loss, Legion General Manager Matt Hawkins said San Diego had been training hard to prepare for its first season.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting the initial championships right here (July 7) in America’s Finest City,” he said, “so it’s only appropriate that we do all we can to be a part of the post-season games.”

The Legion, with Londoner Rob Hoadley as head coach, boasts 26 active players, including Olympians. Its San Diego debut followed a “curtain-raiser” game between San Diego State University’s rugby club and Cal Poly Pomona. (The Aztecs lost 29-22.)

The Legion is the latest incarnation of pro rugby in San Diego. The San Diego Breakers — with Hawkins as a coach — were one of five teams in the Professional Rugby Organization, known as PRO Rugby, which began play in April 2016 and folded by January 2017.

The league will be the “pinnacle” of American rugby, the team said, “and provide a rallying point for local communities, a focal point for American rugby fans, and an aspirational destination for young athletes.”

Spectator Maevetaaffe Nelson of Ireland, whose brothers played rugby, noted the Breakers, whose season two years ago was “quite successful.”

“Unfortunately, that league was not designed to succeed long term,” he said. “But this league looks like it has a much better chance to be a long-term successful venture.”

John Kyle of San Diego, who coaches rugby in a youth program, said he’s been a rugby fan and player for a long time and was happy to see some high-quality play.

“The sport is growing,” Kyle said before the game. “I know that at the youth level, it’s really blowing up right now. The quality of rugby in America has come leaps and bounds.”

Kyle called rugby the ultimate team sport.

“The culture of the game is like no other. Everybody has to tackle, everybody has to run and everybody has to pass, and carry. Everybody’s got to do their job,” he said. “It’s phenomenal for building character.”

Chris Finn of San Diego, another fan in the stands, said he grew up with the sport, which his brother played.

“The idea of having a professional team in your town is something that I have missed for quite a while,” Finn said. “It’s nonstop — it’s a fast-paced game, pretty physical.”

Chris Nelson of Encinitas, whose son is with the Legion, said he’s
very encouraged about the season.

“From a business perspective, this league is being set up correctly.” And he repeated a theme: “I like the fluid play of the game; it’s nonstop… every other game is stop and go, stop and go.”

League games will be shown on AT&T Sports Networks. And the May 4 Legion-SaberCats rematch will be the Game of the Week on CBS Sports Network.

Season ticket packages — four home games — start at $103. Single-game options are shown at sdlegion.com/tickets.

The Legion travels to play the Seattle Seawolves on April 22, followed by:

  • Utah Warriors at San Diego Legion | April 29, 4 PM PST
  • Houston SaberCats at San Diego Legion | May 4, 5:30 PM PST
  • San Diego Legion at Glendale Raptors | May 13, 5 PM PST
  • San Diego Legion at Austin Elite Rugby | May 26, 6 PM PST
  • BYE – Week of June 3
  • San Diego Legion at NOLA Gold | June 9, 1 PM PST
  • Austin Elite Rugby at San Diego Legion | June 17, 5 PM PST
  • And Glendale Raptors at San Diego Legion | June 23, 7 PM PST

Chelsy Clark of San Diego said she was super excited about a new rugby team in town.

But Melina Savarese of Little Italy, first-timer at a rugby game, had some questions: “Why are the shorts so short? Why do they wear the little hats?”