2024 Division 1-A Rugby Championship

Last updated
Division 1-A Rugby Championship
Tournament details
CountriesFlag of the United States.svg United States
Tournament format(s) knockout
Date6 April – 4 May 2024
Tournament statistics
Teams16
Matches played15
Tries scored117 (7.8 per match)
Final
Champions Saint Mary's (4th title)
Runners-up Navy
  2023 (Previous)
(Next) 2025  

The 2024 Division 1-A Rugby Championship is the twelfth season of the Division 1-A Rugby championship, the annual university rugby union competition run by USA Rugby for teams from the top twelve college teams in the United States. Navy entered as defending champions having won their first Championship, capping a perfect 18–0 2023 season. [1] St. Mary's beat Navy in the final 26–22 in the final to secure their fourth championship. [2]

Contents

Teams

Sixteen clubs from the six major conferences compete in the 2024 National Championship playoffs.

The distribution of teams is:

The following teams qualified for the tournament.

PAC Rugby Conference CaliforniaRocky MountainIndependentRugby EastMid-West

Sources: [3]

Team locations

Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Life
Red pog.svg
Lindenwood
Red pog.svg
Davenport
Red pog.svg
Navy
Red pog.svg
Army
Red pog.svg
University of Mary Washington
Red pog.svg
Arkansas State
Red pog.svg
Mt St. Mary's
Cyan pog.svg
Central Washington
Cyan pog.svg
BYU
Cyan pog.svg
Arizona
Cyan pog.svg
Cal Poly
Cyan pog.svg
Grand Canyon
Cyan pog.svg
UCLA
Location dot clear.svg
San Francisco
Bay Area

Cyan pog.svg California
Cyan pog.svg St. Mary's
Locations
Red pog.svg – East, Cyan pog.svg – West

Standings

Bracket

Playoffs
Sweet 16
(April 6)
Elite Eight
(April 13)
Final Four
(April 20)
National Championship Game
(May 4)
            
1 Saint Mary's 78
8 Grand Canyon 7
1 Saint Mary's 34
4 California 16
4 California 70
5 Cal Poly 13
1 Saint Mary's 46
WEST
3 BYU 31
3 BYU 48
6 UCLA 15
3 BYU 40
2 Central Washington 26
2 Central Washington 23
7 Arizona 17
1 Saint Mary's 26
1 Navy 22
1 Navy 41
8 University of Mary Washington 7
1 Navy 57
4 Arkansas State 5
4 Arkansas State 23
5 Davenport 17
1 Navy 27
EAST
2 Life 17
3 Lindenwood 26
6 Mount St. Mary's 0
3 Lindenwood 10
2 Life 25
2 Life 24
7 Army 17

Sources: [11] [12] [13] [2]


Round 1

5 April 2024
Arkansas State Flag of Arkansas.svg 23–17 Flag of Michigan.svg Davenport
Try: E Roode (2)
Con: W Day (1/1)
Madden (1/1)
Pen: W Day (3/4)
Report [13] Try: J Bennie
S Pitout
T Kambani
Con: van der Westhuizen (1/3)
Curt Huckaby Field, Jonesboro, Arkansas

5 April 2024
BYU Flag of Utah.svg 48–15 Flag of California.svg UCLA
Try: T Hammer (2)
W Parry (2)
L Clark
J Campbell
Z Mendenhall
Con: T Hammer (5)
Pen: T Hammer (1)
Report [12] Try: C Carter
S McMillan
Con: J Cox (1)
Pen: J Cox (1)
South Field, Provo, Utah

6 April 2024
Saint Mary's Flag of California.svg 78–7 Flag of Arizona.svg Grand Canyon
Try: S Ofa (2)
T Pappas
J Negrete
M Storti (2)
K Matu
JB Wilson
M Abbes
N Deegan
E Younger
C Lujan
Con: M Storti (9/13)
Report [12] [14] Try: L Jackson
Con: (1/1)
Saint Mary's Stadium, Moraga, California

6 April 2024
California Flag of California.svg 70–13 Flag of California.svg Cal Poly
Try: O Newall (2) 5' c 69 m
C Seastrand 12' c
E Weigold (3) 24' m, 60' m, 78' m
M de Beer 27' m, 52' m
J Kirsten (2) 32' c, 54' m
B Dowgiewicz 74' c
E Cook 75'
Con: R Santos (3) 5', 12', 32'
J Kirsten (1) 74'
Report [12] [15] Try: D Caillouel 40' c
Q Tindel 51' m
Pen: C Baker 10'
Witter Rugby Field, Berkeley, California

6 April 2024
Central Washington Flag of Washington.svg 23–17 Flag of Arizona.svg Arizona
Try: O Treacy (2) 18' m, 47' m
D Ferrington 40' c
Con: J Tregoning (1/3) 40'
Pen: J Tregoning (2) 41'
Report [12] [16] [17] [18] Try: A Turpen c
C Blair m
T Champion 79' m
Con: T Champion (1/3)
Tomlinson Stadium, Ellensburg, Washington

6 April 2024
Navy Flag of Maryland.svg 41–7 Flag of Virginia.svg University of Mary Washington
Try: J Beitia
JD Bengston
A Baublitz
J Cornelius
R Krieger
R Hotaling
Con: R Krieger (4/6)
Pen: R Krieger (1)
Report [19] Try: A Hayward
Con: S Schefferman (1/1)
Prusmack Rugby Complex, Annapolis, Maryland

Notes:

  • The Mids improved to 11-0 at home on the season outscoring opponents, 606-110
  • Beitia scored the fifth-fastest try to begin a game in team history
  • Krieger led Navy with 16 points in the win, which is the eighth-most points scored in a single game in program history
  • Krieger's effort helped him pass 300-points scored in his career.

6 April 2024
Lindenwood Flag of Missouri.svg 26–0 Flag of Maryland.svg Mount St. Mary's
Try: AM Tapia 8' c
J de Jager 28' c
D Cathcart(2) 50' c, 68' m
Con: B Forward (3) 9', 29', 51'
Report [20]
Lindenwood Track Complex, St. Charles, Missouri

6 April 2024
Life Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg 24–17 Flag of New York.svg Army
Try: P Simamane 11' c
L Ballinger 30' c
S Lenzsch 63' c
Con: B Crane (3/3) 12', 31' 64'
Pen: B Crane (1) 73'
Report [21] [22] Try: B Kemp
Pen: J Haley (4)
Lupo Family Field, Marietta, Georgia

Quarter-finals

13 April 2024
Saint Mary's Flag of California.svg 34–16 Flag of California.svg California
Try: K Matu 11' m
D Besag 32' c
JT Toia’ivao 40'
K Kayoshi 43'
S Pongi 65'
Con: Storti (3/5) 33', 44', 66'
Pen: M Storti (1)
Report [23] [24] [25] Try: R Santos 71' m
C Tomasin 78' m
Pen: K O'Connell (2) 13', 35'
Saint Mary's Stadium, Moraga, California

13 April 2024
Central Washington Flag of Washington.svg 24–40 Flag of Utah.svg BYU
Report [26] [27] Try: J Tenney (2)
L Clark
Con: T Hammer (5)
Tomlinson Stadium, Ellensburg, Washington

13 April 2024
Navy Flag of Maryland.svg 57–5 Flag of Arkansas.svg Arkansas State
Try: W Webb (2) 8' m, 14' c
B Haugh (2) 34' c, 44'
R Krieger 47' c
A Taylor 55' c
E Soeder 64' c
A Ganse 66' c
Con: R Krieger (7/8) 15', 35', 45', 48', 56', 65', 67'
Pen: R Krieger (1) 80'
Report [28] [29] Try: 21' m
Con: (0/1)
Prusmack Rugby Complex, Annapolis, Maryland

Notes:

  • Krieger's point total helped him become the first mid to score more than 200 points in a single season (219)

13 April 2024
Life Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg 25–10 Flag of Missouri.svg Lindenwood
Try: S Kramlich 8' c
S Matthysen 58' c
W Piggins 73' m
Con: B Crane (2/3) 9', 59'
Pen: B Crane (2) 16', 42'
Report [30] [31] [32] Try: C Wallace 5' c
Con: B Forward (1/1) 5'
Pen: B Forward (1) 27'
Lupo Family Field, Marietta, Georgia

Semi-finals

20 April 2024
Saint Mary's Flag of California.svg 46–31 Flag of Utah.svg BYU
Try: D Besag (2)
S Pongi
I Toia'ivao
E Storti (2)
K Kayoshi
H Modlin
Con: M Storti (4/8)
Report [33] [34] [35] Try: C Semu c
Tenney (2)
Parry
Worthington
Con: T Hammer (3/5)
Saint Mary's Stadium, Moraga, California
Attendance: ~3,000

20 April 2024
Navy Flag of Maryland.svg 27–17 Life Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg
Try: W Webb 10' c
J Cornelius 38' c
I Bullock 56'
Con: R Krieger (3/3) 11', 39', 57'
Pen: R Krieger (2) 33', 65'
Report [36] [37] [38] Try: K Hoffman 28' c
penalty try 65'
Con: B Crane 29'
Pen: B Crane 23'
Prusmack Rugby Complex, Annapolis, Maryland

Final

4 May 2024
Saint Mary's Flag of California.svg 26–22 Flag of Maryland.svg Navy
Try: D Besag 2' c
E Storti 5' c
J Battle Wilson 25' c
S Pongi 42' m
Con: M. Storti (3/4) 2', 6', 26'
Report [2] [39] [40] Try: B Haugh 35' m
W Webb 50' c
V Schmitz 67' c
Con: Krieger (2/3) 51', 68'
Pen: Krieger (1) 70'
SaberCats Stadium, Houston, Texas

Rudy Scholz Award

Winner

Finalists

Nominations

Sources: [41] [42] [43]

2023–2024 First Team All Americans

Sources: [44]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Mary's College of California</span> Catholic college in Moraga, California, US

Saint Mary's College of California is a private Catholic college in Moraga, California. Established in 1863, it is administered by the De La Salle Brothers. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programs with a total student count at under 4,000 as of 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Ruggers</span> Rugby team

The Lady Ruggers are Penn State University's (PSU) Women's Rugby Football Club sports team, established in 1991. They are a Division 1 Elite rugby team who play under USA Rugby, American rugby's governing body. Although they are an official PSU team the women's rugby program at PSU is not funded as a varsity sport and therefore cannot be officially called the "Nittany Lions". The team is part of the Penn State athletic department's "team sports" program and plays other school's varsity teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BYU Men's Rugby</span> Rugby team

The Brigham Young University Men's Rugby Team participates in the Rocky Mountain division of Division 1-A Rugby. They won the D1-A National Championship in 2009 and 2012. From 2013 to 2016 they participated in the Varsity Cup Championship, where they won three championships, defeating rival powerhouse Cal each time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Rugby Football Club</span> Rugby team

The Army Rugby Football Club was founded in 1961 and for over 50 years the Army Black Knights have been a leader in USA Collegiate Rugby. The Army Ruggers are West Point's most winning team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Washington Wildcats</span> Athletic teams representing Central Washington University

The Central Washington Wildcats are the 13 varsity athletic teams that represent Central Washington University, located in Ellensburg, Washington, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Wildcats compete as members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindenwood Lions</span> Athletic teams of Lindenwood University

The Lindenwood Lions and Lady Lions are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Lindenwood University, located in St. Charles, Missouri, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Ohio Valley Conference for most of its sports since the 2022–23 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Mary's Gaels</span> Collegiate sports club in the United States

The Saint Mary's Gaels are the athletic teams that compete at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California. The nickname applies to the college's intercollegiate NCAA Division I teams and to the school's club sports teams. Most varsity teams compete in the West Coast Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division 1-A Rugby</span> Highest level of college rugby in the USA

Division 1-A Rugby is the highest level of college rugby within the United States and is administered by USA Rugby. Division 1-A rugby is modeled after NCAA athletic competitions, with the 40 D1-A rugby schools divided into seven conferences: East, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, California, Big Ten, Lonestar River, and Independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collegiate Rugby Championship</span> US college rugby sevens tournament

The Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) is an annual college rugby sevens tournament. The CRC began as the highest profile college rugby sevens competition in the United States, with the tournament broadcast live on NBC from 2010 to 2017, on ESPN News and ESPN3 from 2018 to 2019, The Rugby Network in 2021 and 2023, and on CBS Sports in 2022. The CRC capitalized on the surge in popularity of rugby at major universities following the 2009 announcement of the addition of rugby sevens to the Summer Olympics. Beginning in 2021, the tournament has been organized by National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) under license for the name and logo. Since the CRC franchise was licensed to NCR, the tournament has primarily featured comparatively smaller universities, as USA Rugby, recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the sport's National Governing Body (NGB), holds the official championship in June 2024.

The USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships is an annual competition among the top men's college rugby teams in the country to decide a national champion in rugby sevens. USA Rugby organized the championship to capitalize on the surge in popularity of rugby sevens following the 2009 announcement of the addition of rugby to the Summer Olympics. USA Rugby recognized that rugby sevens is growing in popularity, participation and interest. At the time of the foundation of the tournament, rugby was one of the fastest growing sports across college campuses. This tournament is a major contributor to the selection process for USA Rugby Olympic athletes.

This is a list of results and records for the USA Rugby National Collegiate Men's Rugby Championships, which began in 1980. The 1984–1988 and 1990 editions were played in conjunction with the Annual Pebble Beach Rugby Classic. In 2010, several of the top college teams agreed to form the College Premier League, now known as Division 1-A Rugby to begin play in spring 2011. This list does not include records from the breakaway invitational Varsity Cup Championship held between 2013 and 2017, nor from the rival National Collegiate Rugby Organization's D1 championship that began in 2021.

Big Ten Universities is a Division 1-A college rugby conference founded in summer 2012 by ten of the twelve schools that then made up the Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten Universities was formed to improve rugby among the Big Ten schools by capitalizing on traditional Big Ten rivalries, increasing the number of fans, attracting talented high school rugby players, and playing other regional schools, which would create more competitive matchups with traditional rivals.

The Lindenwood Lions men's rugby team represents Lindenwood University in college rugby. Lindenwood plays in Division I-A in the Mid-South conference. The team is coached by Josh Macy. The Lindenwood men's rugby team won the 2012 USA Rugby Division II national championship in its inaugural season, and finished second in Division I-AA for the 2012-13 season. Following the 2012-13 season, Lindenwood moved up to Division I-A for the 2013-14 season. Lindenwood has also had success in Sevens. The Lions won the D1 7s National Championship in 2015 & the Red Bull University 7s Championship.

The PAC Rugby Conference was a college rugby conference composed of four schools from the Pac-12 Conference that competed against each other in Division 1-A Rugby. It was formed in 2012 with six teams, with conference play beginning in February 2013 to compete in Division 1-AA. In 2016, PAC added USC and Stanford and dropped Oregon State, and moved up to D1-A. Despite only recently moving up from D1-AA affiliation, the PAC has historically been one of the strongest conferences in college rugby, with five of its members consistently ranked in the Top 25 overall. The PAC Rugby Conference began play on February 2, 2013, with Cal beating Arizona State at Witter Field in Berkeley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Varsity Cup Championship</span>

The Varsity Cup Championship was an American college rugby competition established in 2012 to serve as an invitational championship following the breakaway of several schools from Division 1-A Rugby.

Matt Sherman is a former American rugby union fly-half and current coach of the Army men's rugby team at the United States Military Academy. His ‘21/‘22 Army West Point squad won the D1A National Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego State Aztecs rugby union</span> College rugby union club team

San Diego State Aztecs Rugby Club is the rugby union club that represents San Diego State University. The men's team competes in Division 1-A in the California Conference and the women's team competes in Division II in the Pacific Desert Conference. The club plays its home games at ENS 700 Field.

The 2022 Collegiate Rugby Championship was a college rugby sevens tournament played from May 28–30, 2022 at Gold Mine on Airline in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tournament is also known as May Madness. It was the 12th annual Collegiate Rugby Championship, and the second consecutive year that the tournament was held in New Orleans. The men's Premier Cup competition consisted of 32 teams, while the women's premier cup competition featured 16 teams. The tournament as a whole featured 110 teams competing across six men’s and women’s divisions, making it the largest ever collegiate rugby tournament. All teams competed in a single elimination bracket. Lindenwood entered the tournament as three-time defending champions. Kutztown won their first CRC title defeating Dartmouth 17–12 in the final. Lindenwood won their fourth women's title defeating Life 19–7 in the final. The CBS Sports Network broadcast five matches per day with the remaining matches available on The Rugby Network. Teams which were knocked out of the Premier Cup Bracket, competed in the Champion Plate, Challenge Bowl, and the Survivor Shield. Notre Dame College won the Champion Plate, Fordham won the Challenge Bowl, and Air Force won the Survivor Shield.

The 2023 Division 1-A Rugby Championship is the eleventh season of the Division 1-A Rugby championship, the annual university rugby union competition run by USA Rugby for teams from the top twelve college teams in the United States. Navy won their first Championship with a 28–22 win over California, capping a perfect 18–0 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College rugby in the United States</span> Sport

College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the auspices of the NCAA and are instead governed by National Collegiate Rugby and USA Rugby, two nationwide governing bodies. 27 women's programs participate in the NCAA.

References

  1. "Navy Caps Off 18-0 Season With Dramatic Final Win Over Cal". Goff Rugby Report. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Gael Force. Saint Mary's Holds Off Navy for D1A Championship". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  3. "Men's Rugby Earns Top Seed in East Bracket of Division I-A Playoffs". Navy Sports. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  4. "Fall 2023 Standings". Rugby East. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  5. "BIG 10 MEN'S RUGBY". NCRugby. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  6. "California D1A Conference Wraps Up With Positives For Many". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  7. "Central Washington University 2024 Men's Rugby Schedule". CWU. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  8. "Grand Canyon University Club Sports 2023-24 Men's Rugby Schedule". GCU club sports. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  9. "Bears Handle Utes On The Road". Cal Bears. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  10. "SCHEDULE". BYU Rugby. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  11. "D1A Playoff Matchups Confirmed". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Some Big Scores in D1A Western Bracket". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  13. 1 2 "D1A Eastern Bracket Playoff Games: Eastern Update". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  14. "In Men's Rugby, the Gaels Defeat Grand Canyon in the First Round of Playoffs. Next up: Quarter Finals vs. Cal". St Mary's. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  15. "Bears Advance To D1A Quarterfinals". Cal Bears. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  16. "#2 Central Washington Advances In Battle of The Wildcats". Wild Cat Sports. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  17. "CWU RECAP: LEssons learned in postseason loss". Arizona Rugby. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  18. "Victorious Beginnings: Wildcat's Clinches Playoff Opener". CWU Observer. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  19. "Navy Uses Great First Half to Win First-Round Playoff Match Over No. 14 Mary Washington". Navy Sports. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  20. "Men's Rugby Defeats Mount St. Mary's in D1A Playoffs". Lindenwood Lions. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  21. "LIFE U Advances in D1A Playoffs with 24-17 Win Over Army". Life Running Eagles. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  22. "Men's Rugby Falls to Life in the First Round of the D1A Playoffs". Go Army. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  23. "Cal Falls To Saint Mary's In Quarterfinals". Cal Bears. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  24. "Cal Loses to Saint Mary's in National Rugby Championship Quarterfinal". Sports Illustratated. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  25. "Saint Mary's Impressive in Defeat of Cal in D1A QF". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  26. "Early BYU Surge Sees Cougars Past Wildcats to D1A Semifinals". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  27. "Mens Rugby Season Comes to a Close In Second Round of D1A Men's College Rugby National Championship Playoff". Wild Cat Sports. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  28. "Navy Advances To Playoff Semifinals With 57-5 Win Over No. 8 Arkansas State". Navy Sports. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  29. "Navy Thunders Past ASU 57-5". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  30. "Men's Rugby Clinches D1A Semifinal Appearance with Win over Lindenwood". Life Running Eagles. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  31. "Men's Rugby Ousted from D1A Playoffs by Life". Lindenwood Lions. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  32. "Life Downs Lindenwood To Make D1A Semis". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  33. "Gaels Defeat BYU and Are Headed for the Rugby National Championships". St Mary's-CA. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  34. "Gaels Race Past BYU in Wild D1A Semi". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  35. "Championship bound: Bay Area natives lead Saint Mary's rugby past BYU and into title game". The Mercury News. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  36. "Navy Secures Second-Straight National Championship Berth With 27-17 Victory over No. 2 Life". Navy Sports. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  37. "Navy Through to D1A Final After Win Over Life". Goff Rugby Report.
  38. "Men's Rugby D1A Playoff Run Upended by Navy". Life Running Eagles. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  39. "Gaels Win Rugby National Championship". St Mary's-CA. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  40. "Comeback For Men's Rugby Falls Short In National Championship Loss To St. Mary's". Navy Sports. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  41. "Rudy Scholz Award Nominations Named". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  42. "Rudy Scholz Award Finalists Named". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  43. "Wyatt Parry Wins 2024 Scholz Award". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  44. "College Rugby Association of America Names the 2024 D1A Collegiate All-Americans". CRAA. Retrieved 6 May 2024.