Women’s Division II Pools Announced
While this is technically the first year of the Women’s Division II competition at the CRC, there could be somewhat of a returning champion in Roger Williams, winners of the Division I Club last year. The Hawks are drawn in Pool B with Shippensburg and the University of Texas-San Antonio led by All-American Tiffany Hunter.
Men’s Division I Pools Announced
Eight different conferences are represented in the Division I competition –Liberty, Heart of America, MARC, Southern, Gold Coast, Florida, SCRC and MAC. Only two teams return from last year, Liberty champion UMass and UConn, and a new champion will be named.
Women’s Division I Pools Announced
There will be a new champion in Division I, as last year’s winner, Roger Williams, is one of the contenders in a deeper Division II. The 48-team women’s field at the CRC is stronger than ever across the board, with several conferences joining the fray in 2023. Clemson and Boise State competed in the Premier Cup last season, but Wisconsin is the lone returner to Division I. The rest are making their CRC debut.
Men’s Small College Pools Announced
Three-fourths of last year’s semi finalists return in Men’s Small College, with the outlier being reigning national champion New Mexico Tech. This 18-team field is split between six pools of three, with the winner of each and the top two second-place teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
Women’s Small College Pools Announced
There will be a new champion in Women’s Small College, as the University of Chicago was upset in the Great Waters Championship by Wisconsin-Platteville. The Pioneers are drawn in Pool D with St. Bonaventure, who dominated the Upstate New York circuit, and the Missouri S&T Miners, champions of the Mid-America in the club’s first year of existence.
Final Bids Won, CRC Qualification Closes
On the final weekend of qualification, 32 teams punched their tickets to the Collegiate Rugby Championship. The remaining at-large bids to eight national championship divisions have been accepted, and the full 122-team tournament field will be announced this week.