Men’s Division I
The penultimate weekend in men’s Division I saw Rocky Gorge exact revenge on Norfolk, 48-28, Baltimore-Chesapeake come from behind to defeat Schuylkill River on the road, 24-21, and Washington Irish utilize a 29-0 halftime lead to pull out the 36-26 victory over Pittsburgh.
The final two games of the season have plenty of playoff implications on Saturday. First off, Rocky Gorge already locked up the #1 seed in the North and it travels to Pittsburgh for the last match. Schuylkill River is in the driver’s seat for second, but if the Harlequins can beat Gorge with a bonus point, they will jump into second based on wins.
As for the Division I South, the Potomac Exiles clinched a postseason berth and the match between Northern Virginia and Norfolk on Saturday will determine the second berth.
Men’s Division II
The results of Saturday’s games solidified the top four in the Division II North as each team won its match. Assuming Doylestown defeats Lehigh Valley this weekend, the Dragons will take the #1 seed in the semifinals against the Lancaster Roses. If Doylestown is upset, Old Gaelic will take over first place. Otherwise, it draws Philadelphia-Whitemarsh in the second semifinal on April 13th.
Down in the Division II South, it was a battle of heavyweights between Raleigh and James River. In the #1 versus #2 clash, the lead was exchanged six times before the Vipers outlasted their opponent, 46-30. Raleigh improved its record to 7-1 to conclude the season in first place and James River finished in second. As for third, even though it lost to Washington on Saturday, Richmond takes the #3 seed and fourth place is still in play. Washington is in control as of now, but if Virginia can beat James River on Saturday, it will book its ticket to the South semifinals.
Women’s Division II
There is a lot of rugby left to be played on the women’s side as four more weeks remain on the schedule. The big news on the docket in the North was a pair of dominating shutouts from Doylestown and Phoenixville White Horse. In the South, Severn River stretched its undefeated record to 6-0 with a 46-5 victory over James River and Chesapeake beat the DC Furies for its first win of the season.
Men’s Division III
The highly anticipated Division III South Championship was played Saturday as the Norfolk Blues hosted the Virginia Beach Falcons. The fight was intense as Norfolk took a 12-10 lead into halftime but the Falcons grabbed it right back five minutes after the break. The Blues fought back but Virginia Beach pulled away late for the 29-17 victory.
“The key to finishing that game was making adjustments to our organization at the breakdown and taking care of the ball,” coach Nathan Davis said. “We accrued more penalties than usual and faced a lot of adversity as a result. We managed to get some great breaks from loose ball near the end to seal the win.”
“Winning the South is a tremendous accomplishment for the guys and it has been a grind, but Pittsburgh (MAC Finals) has been a big goal for them and they will be ready to give their best effort in the semifinals.”
It was win or go home in the final weekend in the Division III Central. The top three teams, Severn River, Washington Irish, and Western Suburbs, were deadlocked at 32 points after last week and each squad blew out their respective opponent on Saturday. In the battle for the fourth and final spot, Rocky Gorge blasted Frederick, 82-14, but the Washington Renegades fell to Severn River, 69-7. Gorge earned the final spot in the semifinals and draw Severn River on Saturday while the Washington Irish hosts the Western Suburbs.
Up North, the playoff quarterfinals are set for this weekend. As the #1 from the Red division, the Northeast Philadelphia Irish host the Hibernians while undefeated Media from the Blue takes on Schuylkill River. The #2 versus #3 quarterfinals are Wilkes-Barre and its 7-1 record drawing Jersey Shore and Reading traveling to 6-2 Brandywine.
The most uplifting story out of the North is the worst to first turnaround from Media that culminated in a 44-19 win over Happy Valley. Coach Rick Van Luvender indicated, “Our primary focus has been a defensive system based upon the situation. The team has put in a lot of fitness work over the offseason, which has been a force multiplier this season… They focus on simple tasks that when done properly build confidence and keep them from focusing on the score or outcome of the match. That leads to open attacking rugby.”
Women’s Division III
Lastly, women’s Division III saw the Maryland Stingers fall to Rappahannock, 28-12, Frederick crush Pax River, 67-20, the York and Lancaster Thorns earn their second win of the season with a 73-0 thrashing of Lehigh Valley, and South Jersey improving to 5-0 with a 31-19 victory over Philadelphia.
Men’s Division IV
Division IV is a race to the finals with the top two facing off in Pittsburgh on May 4th. The Washington Renegades earned its berth into the title game last weekend and the second place will be decided in two weeks. Prince William County’s 76-0 shutout against the Washington Scandals put it into second, but that may be short-lived if Phoenixville White Horse beats the Baltimore Flamingos on April 13th.
| HOME | SCORE | AWAY | SCORE | DIVISION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Chesapeake Brumbies | 24 | Schuylkill River Exiles | 21 | Men - Division I |
| Rocky Gorge Rugby | 48 | Norfolk Blues | 28 | Men - Division I |
| Washington Irish | 36 | Pittsburgh Harlequins | 26 | Men - Division I |
| Doylestown Dragons | 66 | North Penn Rugby | 10 | Men - Division II-North |
| Old Gaelic Rugby | 51 | Wilmington Rugby | 21 | Men - Division II-North |
| South Jersey Devils | 26 | Lancaster Roses | 50 | Men - Division II-North |
| James River Rugby | 30 | Raleigh Vipers | 46 | Men - Division II-South |
| Washington Rugby | 31 | Richmond Lions | 29 | Men - Division II-South |
| Doylestown Dragons | 46 | Northeast Philadelphia Rugby | 0 | Women - Division II-North |
| Brandywine Riot | 0 | Phoenixville White Horse | 85 | Women - Division II-North |
| Chesapeake Rugby | 48 | D.C. Furies D2 | 19 | Women - Division II-South |
| James River Rugby | 5 | Severn River Rugby | 42 | Women - Division II-South |
| Virginia Beach | 29 | Norfolk Blues | 17 | Men - Division III South Final |
| Rocky Gorge Rugby D3 | 82 | Frederick Rugby | 14 | Men - Division III-Central |
| Severn River Rugby | 69 | Washington Renegades | 7 | Men - Division III-Central |
| Washington Irish D3 | 43 | West Potomac Beavers | 10 | Men - Division III-Central |
| Baltimore-Chesapeake Brumbies D3 | 23 | Western Suburbs Rugby | 45 | Men - Division III-Central |
| North Bay Rugby | 19 | Northern Virginia Rugby D3 | 20 | Men - Division III-Central |
| Harrisburg Rugby | 15 | Reading Rugby | 36 | Men - Division III-North |
| Delmarva Rugby | 68 | Blackthorn Rugby | 12 | Men - Division III-North |
| Happy Valley Barbarians | 19 | Media Rugby | 44 | Men - Division III-North |
| York & Lancaster Thorns | 73 | Lehigh Valley Rugby | 0 | Women - Division III-North |
| South Jersey Devils | 31 | Philadelphia Rugby D3 | 19 | Women - Division III-North |
| Frederick Rugby | 67 | Patuxent River Rugby | 20 | Women - Division III-South |
| Maryland Stingers | 12 | Rappahannock Rugby | 28 | Women - Division III-South |
| Western Suburbs Rugby D4 | 15 | Phoenixville White Horse | 68 | Men - Division IV |
| Washington Scandals | 0 | Prince William County Rugby | 75 | Men - Division IV |
| Baltimore Flamingos | 26 | Patuxent River Rugby | 50 | Men - Division IV |
