It is no coincidence that the top teams in NCR D1 had locks in our Hot 100 list.
In fact, the two finalists, St. Bonaventure and Notre Dame College, had both of their second row forwards in our list. This is a crucial position and in college rugby if you have very good players at lock, that's a massive advantage over those who had guys who are ... just OK. There's a huge difference in what you can accomplish if you have tall, strong, hard-working locks who can win lineouts, cover the field, and work really hard.
It's that last thing that's a big deal. That isn't to say that if you were not listed here that you can't play; it's just that the bar is really high.
Fall 2023 NCR D1 Hot 100: Wing and Fullback
Fall 2023 NCR D1 Hot 100: Center
NCR D1 Hot 100: Scrumhalf and Flyhalf
NCR D1 Hot 100: Flanker and No. 8
