Men’s Rugby Enjoys Historic Season

Women’s soccer and women’s basketball are not the only University of Hartford teams that will be competing in important tournaments this weekend.

The men’s rugby team will take on Hamilton College in the Northeast Rugby Union Division III Collegiate Championship tournament on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 9 a.m. on the campus of Genesee Community College in Batavia, N.Y.

The winner of the four-team Northeast Regional tournament will move on to the National Championship tournament, which will take place in South Carolina.

This is the first time in its 20-year history that the Hartford men’s rugby team has qualified for the Northeast Regional Championship. The team is enjoying its best season ever, with a record of 7-1.

Men’s rugby is a club sport, which means that it is not part of the University’s Division I intercollegiate athletics program. The University’s men’s rugby team dates back to 1986, and its current 63-man roster is the largest in team history.

Hartford advanced to the Northeast Regional Championship after finishing in second place in the New England Championship tournament last weekend. The Hawks beat Keene State 26-19 in the semifinal round, and lost to the national champions, the Bentley Falcons, 15-0 in the finals.

Hamilton College, Hartford’s opponent in Saturday’s match, is the Upstate New York champion. The winner of the Hartford vs. Hamilton game will play either Bentley College or New York Maritime College, the Metro New York champion, in the finals of the Northeast Regional tournament.

For more information on Hartford men’s rugby, go to http://www.hartfordrugby.cjb.net/.