Tritons, Lakers Qualify for CRC

February 27 - The first automatic qualifiers of the 2024 7s season are in the books, and Iowa Central Community College men and Grand Valley State University women have punched their tickets to the Collegiate Rugby Championship April 26-28 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD. 

The Lakers hosted and won the Great Lakes Conference qualifier in Allendale, MI, going undefeated on the day with wins over Ferris State (35-0), Calvin (21-14), and Saginaw Valley State (63-0) to become the first team to earn a bid to nationals in Women’s Division II.

Iowa Central won the Sunshine 7s in Gainesville, FL to become the first Men’s Premier Cup side to qualify for Maryland. The Tritons dropped their first game of the tournament, 21-19 to Notre Dame, rebounding to win four straight and avenge the lone loss to the Fighting Irish, 21-14, in the final.

ICCC needed walk off tries with time expired to pull out both the semifinals and final. Queens held a 21-14 lead late in the former, but a lack of discipline helped the Tritons come back when the Royals were issued a yellow card for a high tackle on the tying try, leaving them down a man the final two minutes. Iowa Central slowly leveraged the advantage, and Gavin Oleson dotted down the game winner.

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