The search for challenging opposition is real and certainly important for those not fortunate to play in, say, the Great Midwest or the MARC, there is more work to be done to find those challenges.

So let's take a look at the inter-conference meeting between two-time defending D2 champs IUP, and challengers Grand Valley State, the defending Great Lakes Conference champion and 2024 national quarterfinalist, all hosted by the Toledo Rugby Club.

"Seth and I have a lot of fun with this match up and appreciate each other’s willingness to make the effort to make it happen," said GVSU Head Coach John Mullett, referring to IUP Head Coach Seth Erwin. "Thanks also to the Toledo Men’s and Women’s Clubs for hosting us."

Mullett expects his team to make some noise on the national level.

"I have a team that should compete," added Mullett. "I know how good IUP can be, having lost to them last fall in a friendly. We are doing some juggling to confirm our most effective combinations, but we are learning a lot as we go."

GVSU has a strong pack with some very good experience and toughness. Reinhardt Stipp and Calvin Schwandt return and are key leaders.

Erwin, for his part, will welcome a difficult test and he doesn't remember winning this matchup last year, he remembers how close it was.

"They are very well coached, and a super aggressive side," said Erwin. 'They have a stud 15 who moves all around, and their forwards can be a problem to match up with."

IUP has been looking for tough games with an eye toward the playoffs. That might seem arrogant, but it's reality—IUP expects to win their conference, so they are testing themselves to win that and games after, too. That's why they scrimmaged Wheeling. The Cardinals, a team in NCR D1, are loaded with fast, athletic backs and while they started younger players, their bench was talented and experienced. The Crimson Hawks had players on the bench who had begun playing rugby the week before.

It was an imposing scrimmage, even if it was a scrummage, and it ended 69-12. But Erwin points out that it was 7-0 IUP early on, and 17-7 at halftime. At 50 minutes it was 24-12. Then their bench came on, all explosive players, and scored 45 points in the final 20 minutes. For Erwin this was a useful experience.

"Sure 69-12 sucks, but it was preseason, and we were playing a loaded Wheeling," said Erwin. "But I was crazy happy with how we played."

The Crimson Hawks have graduated some very good players, led by Dom Holmes. So they are rebuilding a bit.

"We are still growing," said Erwin. "We know what [players] we lost, but we don't dwell in it. We restructured and put in a new system to accommodate our roster. We still have guys like Santino Fischio, Jayce Brooks, Dylan Deasy, Declan Cringle, and add in Grad Transfer Malcolm Johnson, we hope people sleep on us."

That won't happen.

"Like I told the boys in camp, the goals is always going to be make it to Houston.  We know what it takes, and how hard the work is, so we just control what we can control and play a solid brand of rugby."

This weekend, here are some major games to consider as we work on the rankings and think (early as it is) to playoffs and conference chases:

Coast Guard vs Vermont
UNC Wilmington vs D1AA team SOuth Carolina
Marquette vs Illinois State and UNI vs UMW as the Great Midwest kicks off.

Southern Illinois at St. Louis University
Towson at Georgetown (!)
Marist takes on SUNY Oswego