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Which is the Big Game This Weekend in College Rugby?

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Which is the Big Game This Weekend in College Rugby?

Both Cal vs Saint Mary's games last year were close. David Barpal photo.

This is a massive weekend in college rugby.

Army hosting Navy is TRN's Game of the Week and it's a bit of a tossup as to whether that's the biggest game. Actually, Cal vs Saint Mary's was slated to be the game but when it was moved from Saint Mary's to Cal's Witter Rugby Field because the field at Saint Mary's has been overstressed by rain, the broadcaster also, apparently, had to move.

Army Hosts Navy at West Point

Cal has a deal with Pac-12 Networks so that might be the reason, but the game was pulled from The Rugby Network and is now on Pac-12 Networks. Regardless, that game could well decide the top seed from the West. It's a wide open landscape and it's tough to see where each team might fall, but we suspect that if Cal wins, they might be the highest-ranked West Coast team. Last year Cal won their first meeting on a late try from Jack Manzo. Saint Mary's pulled off a bit of a shocker in the D1A semifinals, however, riding a torrid 20-minute period to chased down the Bears and then to hold on. 

Working hard to make sure that doesn't happen is Central Washington, which faces off with Arizona in an all-Wildcat clash. Arizona has been playing well and steadily improving. CWU is somewhat stung by their one-point loss to BYU. Much is on the line here.

And of course the Mid-South is not set. Yes Arkansas State is 4th out of four (sorry Red Wolves) and nothing will change that, but everything else is up for grabs.

Davenport can secure 2nd with a win over Life (even if they don't get a bonus point and Life gets two). So a Davenport win also clinches the conference for Lindenwood. Also clinching for Lindenwood would be a tie, or a two bonus-point loss to Arkansas State. Or, of course, a win.

But Life can overhaul Lindenwood with a victory over Davenport and a loss by Lindenwood.

DIAA Seriousness

The Florida DIAA league enters its playoffs. Florida State gets the bye (thanks in part to a result being overturned due to an ineligible player). The other six play off in the quarterfinals this week. Florida and South Florida are probably favored, but FIU vs UCF is a bit of a tossup. Central Florida won their regular-season meeting 38-27.

The Heart of America final is this weekend. Iowa State plays Minnesota. The winner plays Sam Houston State in the ACR/CRAA semis on April 15. Meanwhile, the West Coast side of that bracket starts to figure itself out. The California DIAA Conference playoffs occur over the next couple of weeks, while Gold Coast figures out their champions. University of San Diego is the top team in the Gold Coast, and they play rivals Claremont Colleges this weekend. Both teams are unbeaten

Check back for scores:

Date Away   Home League Stream Ref
3/24 Navy 34-26 Army D1A Non-Conference TRN Amelia Luciano
3/25 Davenport 17-26 Life Mid-South D1A FloRugby Lex Weiner
3/25 Arizona 0-17 Central Washington D1A Non-Conference YouTube Haley Aguiar
3/25 Saint Mary's 38-34 Cal D1A Non-Conference Pac-12 Jack Gohl
3/25 Cal Poly 27-36 UCLA D1A Non-Conference YouTube Jacob Gonzales
3/25 Grand Canyon 54-10 San Diego State D1A Non-Conference YouTube Marc Voorhees
3/25 Texas A&M 65-5 Texas D1A Red River Final    
3/25 Claremont Colleges 14-38 U. San Diego Gold Coast YouTube  
3/25 Arizona State at Norco College Gold Coast    
3/25 Florida 62-7 North Florida Florida D1AA QF YouTube  
3/25 Florida International 41-28 Central Florida Florida D1AA QF YouTube  
3/25 South Florida 36-7 Florida Atlantic Florida D1AA QF YouTube  
3/25 Minnesota 22-27 Iowa State Heart of American Final Maybe Here  
3/25 Mary Washington 45-14 Siena Non-Conference    
3/25 Utah 22-65 BYU D1A Non-Conference YouTube Mike Lawrenson
3/25 Arkansas State 24-41 Lindenwood Mid-South D1A ESPN+ Tyler Chicarella
3/25 Penn State 12-20 Mount St. Mary's Non-Conference    
3/25 Oregon State 24-26 Washington NCRC    
3/28 Cal Poly 36-13 Texas A&M D1A Non-Conference Maybe Here Ross Davies