Beavers, Zoomies Qualify for Big Dance

Air Force and Babson became the second and third teams this spring to punch their tickets to the Men’s Premier Cup division of the Collegiate Rugby Championship. The Zoomies and Beavers join Iowa Central Community College, who qualified February. 24 at Sunshine 7s in Gainesville, FL. 

Air Force claimed the Crimson Storm Classic Saturday, defeating Iowa Central 17-7 in the final in Bethany, OK. They scored a 31-0 win over host Southern Nazarene and a 22-12 win over Rio Grande to reach the championship game. The win books the Zoomies their fourth-straight trip to the CRC and sixth overall.

Sunday, Babson defeated American International College, 14-7, to win the Frostbite 7s in Lancaster, PA. The Beavers went 3-0 in pool play, beating fellow Small College powerhouse Christendom, 12-7, and shutting out Delaware, 22-0, and Nazareth, 7-0. They booked two more shutouts in the quarterfinals and semifinals, besting West Virginia, 55-0, and Fordham, 28-0, respectively.

AIC struggled on Saturday, going scoreless against Kutztown and losing to Fordham. The Yellow Jackets’ lone pool win was 33-0 over West Virginia. AIC rebounded Sunday, defeating Delaware, 47-0, in the quarterfinals and avenging the pool loss to Kutztown, 14-12, in the semifinals. 

Babson, defending Small College national champions in both 15s and 7s, becomes the second Small College team ever to qualify for the Premier Cup. Cal Maritime won the Fool’s Gold 7s to earn an automatic bid to the 2022 CRC, making a run to the quarterfinals with upsets over Minnesota and Mount St. Mary’s.

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