GRR: NCR
The University of Chicago is seeking a new Head Coach.
Paced by some very strong work in the forwards the Great Lakes Thunderbirds defeated the Midwest Barbarians 34-0 in the final of the NCR Men’s Collegiate All-Stars in Round Rock, Texas to take the championship.
NCR’s men’s collegiate all-star tournament kicks off Saturday with eight teams in competition in the Austin, Texas area.
The Northeast Independents are looking to make it a three-peat as they once again enter more than one team. The college rugby-dense region has a lot of depth and has come out on both in 2022 and 2023 (although they were called New England in the first year).
National Collegiate has mapped out how teams can qualify for its spring-culminating tournament, the CRC, which will be held once again in late April.
It's fairly unprecedented for a US collegiate organization to have such a qualification process mapped out this early—unprecendented and, for many, refreshing.
In a Bowl Game clash between two very different teams, Fordham met Southern Nazarene in Houston during NCR’s finals weekend.
SNU came in as a new D1 team in NCR but, thanks to some geographic isolation and an independent schedule, not a clear path to the playoffs. Ultimately, with SNU still being new to this level, a bowl game made more sense.