National Collegiate Rugby’s Men’s All Americans capped off a dominant high-performance week in Boston with a thrilling 13-10 victory over Ballynahinch Rugby Football Club (Hinch), one of Ireland’s top senior clubs. The international clash took place at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, MA, immediately following the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference Final between the New England Free Jacks and the Chicago Hounds.
The All Americans—a select squad of elite collegiate players—assembled on Saturday, June 14, and kicked off their tour with a commanding 60-7 win over the New England Free Jacks academy team. The early success set the tone for a competitive week of training and team development.
Their final test came against Hinch RFC, the 2025 Bank of Ireland Senior Cup champions, touring the U.S. with the support of Rugby Travel Ireland, NCR’s official international travel partner. The Irish side brought intensity and structure, but it was Aaron Juma (University of Mary Washington) who struck first with a breakaway try just five minutes into the game. Both sides then locked into a defensive grind, with extended phases inside each other’s 10-meter line but no points scored for the remainder of the first half.
The second half opened with continued ferocity. After yellow cards were issued to both teams, Hinch equalized with a try, bringing the score to 7-7. Ten minutes later, Hinch slotted a penalty kick to take a 10-7 lead. But the All Americans responded immediately—Wheeling University’s Joseph Iye tied the match with a penalty kick of his own and later added another to seal the 13-10 win.
Though tempers flared on the field, camaraderie returned off it. Both teams celebrated their hard-fought match together at the 2025 Rugby Gala held at the New England Aquarium.
Originally scheduled for livestreaming, the match faced the same connectivity issues that disrupted the MLR Eastern Conference final. A full recording is now available on NCR’s YouTube channel for fans to watch and relive the action.
NCR’s High Performance Program continues to grow. Next up: the Women’s All Americans will head to England for a tour that includes international competition and attendance at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. To support the future of American rugby and help fund these transformative experiences, donate here.
