A new Division III national champion will be crowned at Houston’s SaberCats Stadium this weekend, with the semifinals kicking off Friday and the winners advancing to Sunday’s final. All matches will be streamed live on The Rugby Network with a TRN+ Ticket.
Kicking off in the first semifinal Friday are back-to-back runners-up Wayne State and Colorado School of Mines at 12 p.m. CST, followed by Holy Cross and Duke at 2. The winners advance to Sunday’s final at 12 p.m.
Wayne State is the only team returning from last year’s semifinals. Mines and Holy Cross were eliminated in the Round of 16 last year, while Duke is making its first playoff run in recent memory.
The Wildcats had a long road back to the semifinals, having to win a play-in game over Xavier, 61-3, the round of 16 over St. Thomas, 37-5, and the quarterfinals over Slippery Rock, 27-5. A difficult schedule steeled Wayne for the playoff run, as the Wildcats posted a 3-1 record against DI and DI-AA competition this fall.
Wayne’s season opener would prove to be a preview of Friday’s semifinal, a 71-5 defeat of the Colorado School of Mines back in September. Vuyo Mdlalose and Asante Rikhotso both dotted down twice each in that win, along with seven other Wildcats.
Mines started the season slow, dropping three of its first four contests. The Orediggers have reeled off seven-consecutive wins since, beating MiraCosta College in the play-in round, 2022 national champion Cal Poly Humboldt in the sweet 16, and avenging an early loss to New Mexico Tech in the quarterfinals.
Holy Cross dropped its only game this season to reigning champion Babson back in October. The Crusaders avenged that loss in the New England Rugby Football Union conference championship game, 19-12, and backed it up with another win over the Beavers in the quarterfinals.
Babson led 17-0 at halftime in the regional final, but Holy Cross battled back to win the second half, 24-7, and force overtime, where Will Shuck scored the game winner off an attacking scrum. Flyhalf Jackson Evarts is the Crusaders’ top scoring threat, and loose forward Connor Bankuti has an impressive work rate.
Duke is a complete unknown. The Blue Devils went undefeated to win their first-ever Southern Conference title, and they racked up the points in high-scoring playoff wins over Susquehanna, 45-33, in the Round of 16 and Catholic, 51-45, in the quarterfinals.
Stream all matches live on The Rugby Network+.
