Furman hosts USA Rugby’s Fall Collegiate Championships

Furman will welcome some of the best college rugby teams in America when the university hosts USA Rugby’s Fall Collegiate Championships Dec. 2-3.

In all, 12 colleges and universities will participate over two days, culminating with four champions being crowned Sunday. Most of the games will be held at John S. Roberts Field, which is located adjacent to Paladin Stadium. Sunday’s championship games will be held at Stone Soccer Stadium.

Participating in the Men’s DII National Championship Tournament will be University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Virginia Military Institute, Norwich University and North Dakota State University. The Women’s D II field includes Coast Guard Academy, Vassar College, the University of Cincinnati and Winona State University.  On Sunday, Mary Washington University and St. Joseph’s University will square off for the Men’s DIAA Championship and Davenport University will face Notre Dame College for the Women’s DI Championship.

Furman has hosted USA Rugby’s Fall Championships since 2013.

“Furman has served the rugby community well as a host location for championship events,” USA Rugby National Championship Series and Competitions Manager James Wilber said. “Players that have been there know the quality of Furman’s facilities, and we’re excited to have one of our biggest weekends of domestic rugby in South Carolina.”

Furman Rugby Coach John Roberts, who founded the Furman Rugby Team in 1998 and has served as its only head coach, said the university is honored to host the USA Rugby event.

“We are proud of our facility and our championship history, but we are proudest of the way we treat the game,” he said. “We hope that pride resonates throughout this event.”

Saturday’s four semifinal matches will be aired live on USA Rugby TV, beginning with the Women’s DII Semifinal kicking off at 9 a.m. ET. On Sunday, the Women’s DI and DII Fall Championship Finals, as well as the Men’s DIA and DII National Championships will be aired on USA Rugby TV. For a complete schedule of matches, visit USARugbyTV.com.

In 2016, the Furman men’s team finished national runner-up in Men’s DII, losing in the finals to Wisconsin-Whitewater. The team advanced to the round of 16 this year but was eliminated Nov. 18 with a 31-15 loss to North Dakota State.

For more information, contact John Roberts (864) 982-5470.

The complete schedule: