Founded in 1968, the Rice Rugby Football Club plays college rugby in Division I-AA in the Southwest Conference (SWC) against its traditional rivals such as the University of Houston. Rice have been led since 2007 by Head Coach Mario Botha, who formerly played professional rugby in South Africa. Rice won the Southwest Conference with a 6-0 conference record in 2013, advancing to the Division I-AA national playoffs. Previously, Rice finished second in the Southwest Conference in 2012, losing 36-26 to the University of Texas in the conference championship.