Amoskeag (WD3), Boston (MD2), Charles River (MD2), Monadnock (MD4), and Providence (WD2) represented NERFU at the Atlantic Super Regional Rugby Playoffs on April 30 and May 1. All teams represented New England well, but Monadnock went home victorious in the Men’s Division 4 Regional Championship and Providence clinched their birth in the national final four and will travel to Atlanta, Georgia on May 21 and 22 with the hopes of securing a national title.
Update: Providence Rugby is raising funds to send their women’s team to nationals in Atlanta, Georgia. We encourage our members to support their endeavors by donating today online. More information can be found at providencerugby.com.
Overall, twenty-four teams from four geographic unions stretched across the mid-Atlantic states convened at Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora for the two-day inaugural festival. The tournament served as national club playoff ‘sweet sixteen’ and ‘elite eight’ for men’s division three and division two while women’s divisions one, two, and three competed with entry to the final four at stake. The Capital Rugby Union, Empire GU Rugby, and NERFU each crowned two champion teams while the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union was well represented but went without a championship squad.
“On Saturday we [NERFU] went 4-1 overall. Going into day two, we tried to maintain as much momentum as we could as an organization,” said NERFU president Brad Dufresne. “Providence D2 women punched their ticket to the national tournament while Monadnock captured the D4 men’s regional title.”
“The Town of Aurora has been amazing. There is incredible proximity to the fields… just a beautiful layout here. I really liked the playing in fields in a four-corners type approach. The middle runway made it really feel like a festival-type environment, well thought out. Props to Buffalo, massive props to [tournament director] Lex Maccubbin…that man deserves a Medal of Honor for the things he pulled off here. Lots of thanks to Empire GU. Obviously, they have great leaders and they have set the baseline for this agreement that we have between the four unions going forward. Referee resources were really strong. I loved the energy around the marketing and branding and getting the good news out about great rugby happening in the area.”
Dufresne said on his Monadnock team “It is a great community focused group of guys. We did a great job of recruiting this year, we got a couple of cross over athletes that really bolstered us and took us to the next level. We play in a really strong division in New Hampshire with D4 because we are trying to get that grass roots feel and encourage the community game. Monadnock boys left it all out of the field and ended up with a nice 20-0 win for the regional men’s D4 title.”
Match results
(key: CRU = Capital Rugby Union. EGU = Empire Geographic Union. EPU = Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union. NERFU = New England Rugby Football Union)
Men’s Division 4
First round
Rochester Aardvarks (EGU) 45 – Western Suburbs (CRU) 17
Monadnock Wolfpack (NERFU) 49 – Loudoun (CRU) 21
Consolation
Loudoun 55 – Western Suburbs 29
Championship final
Monadnock 20 – Rochester Aardvarks 0
Women’s Division 3
First round
Rappahannock (CRU) 71 – Uticuse (EGU) 15
Amoskeag (NERFU) 47 – Brandywine Riot (EPU) 22
Consolation
Brandywine Riot 14 – Uticuse 12
Championship final
Rappahannock 19 – Amoskeag 17
Men’s Division 3
First round
Union County Mud Turtles (EGU) 36 – Rappahannock Golden Boars (CRU) 12
Charles River (NERFU) 52 – Lehigh Valley Hooligans (EPU) 24
Consolation
Rappahannock Golden Boars 41 – Lehigh Valley Hooligans 40
Championship final
Union County Mud Turtles 15 – Charles River 14
Women’s Division 2
First round
Severn River (CRU) 54 – New Haven (EGU) 7
Providence (NERFU) 31 – Phoenixville White Horse (EPU) 20
Consolation
New Haven 29 – Phoenixville White Horse 12
Championship final
Providence 8 – Severn River 5
Men’s Division 2
First round
Buffalo (EGU) 32 – Washington (CPU) 28
Doylestown (EPU) 27 – Boston (NERFU) 26
Consolation
Washington 26 – Boston 12
Championship final
Buffalo 43 – Doylestown 26
Women’s Division 1
First round
Northern Virginia (CRU) 90 – Philadelphia (EPU) 0
Atlanta Harlequins (CRU) 22 – Raleigh Venom (CRU) 20
Consolation
Raleigh Venom 19 – Philadelphia 5
Championship final
Northern Virginia 32 – Atlanta Harlequins 3
Team summary and tournament records
Empire GU
Rochester Aardvarks – men’s D4 – 1-1
Uticuse – women’s D3 – 0-2
Union County – men’s D3 – 2-0
New Haven – women’s D2 – 1-1
Buffalo Rugby Club – men’s D2 – 2-0
Capital Rugby Union
Western Suburbs – men’s D4 – 0-2
Loudoun – men’s D4 – 1-1
Rappahannock – women’s D3 – 2-0
Rappahannock Golden Boars – men’s D3 – 1-1
Severn River – women’s D3 – 1-1
Washington RFC – men’s D2 – 1-1
NOVA (Northern Virginia) – women’s D1 – 2-0
Atlanta Harlequins – women’s D1 – 1-1
Raleigh Venom – women’s D1 – 1-1
Eastern Pennsylvania Union
Brandywine Riot – women’s D3 – 1-1
Phoenixville White Horse – women’s D2 – 0-2
Lehigh Valley Hooligans – men’s D3 – 0-2
Doylestown – men’s D2 – 1-1
Philadelphia – women’s D1 – 0-2
NERFU
Monadnock Wolfpack – men’s D4 – 2-0
Amoskeag – women’s D3 – 1-1
Charles River – men’s D2 – 1-1
Providence – women’s D2 – 2-0
Boston – men’s D2 – 0-2
The following teams will advance to the national final four in their respective divisions on May 21st and 22nd at Silverback Park in Atlanta, Georgia:
Northern Virginia Women’s Rugby Club – women’s D1
Buffalo Rugby Club – men’s D2
Providence Rugby Football Club – women’s D2
Union County Mud Turtles – men’s D3
