The 2026 Men’s National All-Stars Championship kicks off Saturday at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta, with more than 200 of the top players in college rugby representing eight regional sides. The quarterfinals and semifinals are contested Saturday, with the finals set for Sunday.
All matches will be streamed live. Stadium matches available on NCR TV for a $12.99 weekend pass and outer field matches on YouTube.
The Defending champion New England Independents (Red) open the tournament Saturday at 8:30 a.m. against the Mid-Atlantic Sharks. New England is packed with talent, including the Dartmouth trio of prop Gjergji Bacuku, hooker Jamie Phillips and flyhalf Ethan Knight. Brown scrumhalf Charm Tuala is a standout, as is Vermont lock/back row Jack Worobel (D2 Player of the Year finalist) and AIC fullback Filimone Manu.
The Sharks are coached by Christendom’s James Conrad, Towson’s Matthew Drumgoole, Kutztown’s Jeff Duke and Catholic’s John Solomon. Pulling from 11 different programs ranging from Division I to DIII, the Mid-Atlantic is a diverse bunch. IUP’s Malcolm Johnson scores a ton of points and was a finalist for DII player of the year, and Kutztown locks Max Horn and Luka Jansen Van Vuuren bring some chemistry and talent to the engine room.
Awaiting the winner of New England (Red) vs. Mid-Atlantic in Saturday’s semifinal will be the victor between the Great Lakes Thunderbirds and Tri-State Foundry.
Champions in 2024, the Thunderbirds were a perfect 3-0 through pool play last year, falling to the eventual champions in the semifinals. They’re star-studded again, with DI and DIAA POY finalists Alex Nyamunda (Wheeling) and Phil Tracey (BGSU), respectively. Marian hooker/center Clay Peters is also a load, and Zimbabwe-capped Wheeling flyhalf Takudza Musingwini joins the Great Lakes, having starred for the runner-up Midwest last year.
Tri-State has beefed up its side since going 2-2 and falling in the first knockout round in 2025. The Foundry is stocked full of DI national champions from St. Bonaventure, including playmaker Koen Webb. He primarily played fullback for the Bonnies, but will likely play flyhalf in Atlanta. Bonnies scrumhalf Scott Wilson and Prusmack Award winner Manu Taula are also on the side, as is Siena’s standout center, Harry Ryder.
On the other half of the bracket, the Midwest Barbarians and Western Bison meet in a first-round border battle, with these regions butting up against one another geographically. While the Midwest were runners-up the last two years, the Western region is being rebranded, having competed as the Pacific Coast Grizzlies in prior years.
The Bison coaching staff retains Southern Nazarene’s Aric Gilliland, with Luke Nenes (Sam Houston), Tui Osborne (Texas A&M), and Juwan Johnson (Oregon State) beefing it up. There’s more Lonestar flavor in the Bison side, with Sam Houston hooker Drake Torno suiting up alongside big Roy Levy from Texas Tech and Texas A&M’s Neel Menon and Dylan Dominey. SNU’s Connor Malauulu and Logan McDaniel are grizzled All-Star vets who both pack powerful punches in contact.
The Midwest coaching staff also remains largely unchanged, but the roster has experienced a ton of turnover, with just one Iowa Central player, and no one from Principia or DIII powerhouse Eau Claire. Iowa’s Ren Heimer and Drury’s Drake Poth are talented outside backs who helped the Midwest finish second last year, and there’s a healthy contingent of University of Chicago players, as the Maroons finished second in the country in DII, including POY finalist Will Johnson at flyhalf. Also keep an eye on Wisconsin center Emilio De Palm, who played for the Griffins at RugbyTown last summer.
Awaiting with the Barbarians or Bison in the semifinals Saturday will be the Southeast Bears or New England (White).
The Bears fell to the Midwest in the semifinals last year, but there’s plenty of talent to go a step further this weekend, especially in the backline. Belmont Abbey flyhalf Harry Tui’sila pulls the strings in the midfield, and he’s flanked by Clemson’s Campbell Van Rooyen and Duke’s River Hanson in the centers, the latter a finalist for DIII POY. On the wing is Queens speed merchant Everett Boyd, who is itching to get back in the try zone after the holiday break.
Technically New England’s second side, the White squad still has plenty of ability, evidenced by DIII POY finalist John Cox trolling the midfield. Speedster Kevin Kirklin from Cox’s rival, Providence, is also a danger man in the midfield. And there’s plenty of size in the engine room, with a pair of 6’6” locks in Babson’s Finn Gargan and UMass’ Bearre Dorsey.
