The Mount St. Mary’s University men’s rugby team is joining the Rugby East Conference where they will be part of the most powerful and prestigious collegiate men’s competition on the East Coast. Men’s rugby, a premier sport at the Mount, currently competes in the Chesapeake Collegiate Rugby Conference. The Mount will play its first Rugby East match September 10 at home against Virginia Tech.
The Mount is one of five teams joining Rugby East, whose current members include rugby powerhouses Army, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, Navy, Notre Dame College and recent NCR Division 1 Champion, St. Bonaventure University. In addition to Mount St. Mary’s, other teams joining the conference are Queens University of Charlotte, Southern Virginia University, University of Mary Washington and Virginia Tech.
The new programs bring to Rugby East four national championships, including the Mount’s 2016 National Small College Rugby Organization National Championship, and numerous appearances in national playoffs over the last six years.
“We are excited to have even more competitive and exciting matches on Echo Field in Fall 2022 and beyond,” said Mount St. Mary’s President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. “The Mount St. Mary’s community is proud of our ruggers, both on and off the field. They not only are well prepared for every match and play with passion, but they are always the first to volunteer for service projects on campus and in the community.”
The Mount’s men’s rugby program has grown significantly over the past few years. In Fall 2021, the team made its first Division 1-A playoff appearance, losing to a historically dominant Kutztown team. In this spring’s 7s competition, the Mount has finished first or second in all three Chesapeake Collegiate Rugby Conference tournaments and will compete for the conference championship on April 9.
Mount Head Coach Jay Myles welcomes the challenge of facing powerhouse opponents on a regular basis. "We will be playing in the toughest conference in the country against extremely well-respected programs who are known for their exceptional play,” Myles said. “Every weekend will be a difficult test. We are really looking forward to challenging ourselves to elevate our program to another level.”
Existing Rugby East teams also are excited about the expanded conference. “It’s exciting to add more high-caliber competition to an already strong conference,” said Penn State Head Coach Justin Hundley. “The additional matches will provide opportunities for our team to grow through tough tests week in and week out."