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April 30, 2022
30 April —National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) announced the 32 teams that will compete for the men’s national championship at the Collegiate Rugby Championship in New Orleans.
The final teams were announced during NCR’s Selection Saturday Show on The Rugby Network. Hosted by the rugby podcast team of Point Taken, the show unveiled the remaining at-large bids, regional seeding and first round match-ups.
Lindenwood has won the last three CRC titles, dating back to 2018, and comes in as the presumptive favorite to win a fourth-straight. Joining South region #1 Lindenwood is Indiana in the West, Kutztown in the East and Mount St. Mary’s heads up the Central region.
Indiana enjoyed a near-perfect spring, winning the Big Ten title and pitching a 19-0 record against conference foes in the process. Their lone blemish was a two-point loss to Kutztown, who punched their ticket to New Orleans by winning the Apres 7s automatic qualifier hosted by the New England Free Jacks. The Mountaineers are also conference champions, having finished atop the Chesapeake 7s series standings.
Notable first-round match-ups include # 2 Army against armed services rival and #7 Air Force; #4 Notre Dame Head Coach, Justin Hickey, facing his former team, #5 Clemson, in the South Region; and perennial small college powerhouse #4 Cal Maritime is stepping up to the Premier Cup after winning the Boise St. qualifier, drawing #5 Minnesota in the first round.
The remaining men’s divisions will be announced over the next few days:
The May Madness Bracket Challenge will launch on May 9 giving fans three weeks to complete their brackets ahead of the tournament. The Brackets Challenge will offer a new pool feature that provides fundraising opportunities for clubs.
Hosted by Major League Rugby’s NOLA Gold, the 2022 Collegiate Rugby Championship will be held over Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30. As the largest college rugby tournament in North America, the CRC will include over 100 collegiate teams.
About National Collegiate Rugby
National Collegiate Rugby is the largest collegiate rugby organization with over 600 men's and women's teams. Evolving from the National Small College Rugby Organization, which was founded in 2007, NCR now serves small colleges, Division II and Division I programs. NCR's sole focus is the growth and development of college rugby through a range of competitions, championship pathways, member services and governance. For more information, visit ncrugby.org.
About the Collegiate Rugby Championship (May Madness 7s)
Since its founding in 2010, the Collegiate Rugby Championship has driven massive growth in college rugby 7s programs. The tournament draws over 20,000 fans, major sponsors and national broadcast partners, including its current partner CBS Sports. National Collegiate Rugby Championships, LLC took ownership of the event in 2020, partnering with Rhino Sports and Leisure LLC and Patrice Prusmack, wife of the late CRC founder Jon Prusmack. For more information, visit maymadness7s.com.
NCR Media Contact:
Wade Smith
