Hey there, Rugby Rioter!
🏉 Welcome to this edition of Rugby Riot, where we bring you rugby news and cool stories from around the country.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
📝3 Things You Should Know From The Past Week
🔥Gregory the Great (PA) pulled off the improbable, upsetting Gonzaga (DC) last weekend. How high can they fly??
💪 Loyola (CA) crafted their own upset over Orange Lutheran (CA) in a bruiser.
⏱️ Cathedral Catholic (CA) survived the brute squad—aka Los Alamitos.
In This Issue
Spring 15s: 1 day (March 1st - unofficial start of the season for many teams)
Carolina Ruggerfest: 1 day (March 1st -2nd) TOMORROW 📣
Gonzaga Classic: 43 days (April 12th)
Midwest Invitational: 57 days (April 26th)
Nationals Tournament: 83 days (May 22nd)
Matches to keep an eye on👀
Loyola vs Torrey Pines — March 1st
The first time these teams met, it was a convincing victory for Torrey Pines. A lot has changed since then. Loyola found their groove and recently upset Orange Lutheran. Torrey Pines hasn’t lost a game despite multiple players sidelined with injuries. This should be a high octane matchup between two teams with very different styles. Oh, and I’ll just drop this here in case you wanna see why we expect an emotional contest.
Aspetuck vs Greenwich — March 1st
Two solid Connecticut teams get their seasons rolling. We’re excited to see how both sides look in their first match of 2025.
Gonzaga vs St. Joe’s Prep — March 1st
How will Gonzaga respond to their loss last week—against another PA team? St. Joe’s was the PA 2024 State Runners Up and they had a solid showing at Nationals last year too. Will they be the second PA team in a row to beat Gonzaga, or did Gregory the Great just kick the hornet nest?
Xavier (NY) vs Gregory the Great — March 1st
Xavier sees the field for the first time this weekend, and they face off against a Gregory the Great team that’s coming in hot—fresh off an upset win over Gonzaga last weekend. Xavier is one of the top programs in the country, Gregory the Great is on a roll right now…should be a fun one!
St. Ignatius (OH) vs Pendleton — March 1st
St. Ignatius is ranked #2 by GoffRugbyReport. They get to start off 2025 against a Pendleton team that recently dispatched their neighbors (Xavier OH) 40-8. We’re excited to see how St. Ignatius looks. They have an experienced crew and a lot of depth. Pendleton beat them twice last season in close games.
Carolina Ruggerfest—March 1st & 2nd
💥WAHOO! More rugby! More teams getting rolling!
The Carolina Ruggerfest is this weekend, and signals the beginning of the 2025 campaign for many good teams: Charlotte Cardinals (NC), St. Edward (OH), Clayton (NC), Charlotte Tigers (NC), Richmond Strikers (VA)
📺Apparently, some of the games will be live-streamed. You can find links here.
Big Movers 📈
Fort Hunt ⬆️ 15 spots after a convincing 52-0 victory over the Raleigh Redhawks.
Woodlands (TX) ⬆️ 15 spots with a dominant 62-3 showing versus Strake Jesuit (TX)
La Costa Canyon (CA) ⬆️ 12 spots courtesy of their 33-14 win over Mira Costa (CA)
Bishop O’Dowd (CA) ⬆️ 11 spots with a 60-10 win over Bellarmine (CA)
John Muir (CA) ⬆️ 10 spots after defeating Villa Park (CA) 58-0
Spartans (TX) ⬆️ 10 spots after rocking Memorial (TX) 78-19
Lake Travis (TX) ⬆️ 8 spots after defeating Jesuit New Orleans (LA) 15-14
Danville Oaks (CA) ⬆️ 7 spots with their 40-17 victory over the Wolverines (CA)
Top Five Shakeup 👀
Our top two teams—Cathedral Catholic & Torrey Pines—hold their positions with victories this week. But some new teams cracked the top 5 for the first time 👀
Oceanside (CA) reached the #3 spot this week after their 48-12 victory over Coronado (CA). Oceanside is on a five game winning streak 🔥
Murrieta (CA) leaped 6 spots this week and secured the #4 spot. They walloped La Jolla (CA) 74-14 and are currently on a 3 game winning streak. 🔥
Note on Ranking Movement
Q. Why is Gonzaga ranked so low?
A. Because they have played one game, and lost. Does that mean they are a worse team than the 67 teams ranked higher than them? HELL NO. They just have some catching up to do. Remember, you earn points by winning games, so teams that have played more—and won more—will be ranked higher than the squads that just got started.
Take a look at the rankings page, check your team’s game results, and let us know if anything is incorrect.
Dennis Cole, Loyola (CA), is carried by his teammates after their win against Edison (CA)
Credit: m.l.w_photography (instagram)
Boss ass run by Cathedral Catholic’s Tama Mageo (8-man).
Think you know rugby? Prove it!
In the early days of rugby, which of the following was LEGAL?
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week we’ll have more sick rugby stuff to share with you; scores, highlights, stories, RANKINGS UPDATES… all the goods.
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Be well, ruck with gusto, and may your compression shorts always stay in place.
-The Rugby Riot Team