Tennessee and Bowling Green are blueblood programs seeking their first 15s National Collegiate Rugby championships Saturday in Houston, TX. The Vols (11-0) are undefeated SCRC champs, while Bowling Green (10-3) had to avenge a pair of losses from earlier this fall to MAC rival Louisville, in extra time, to reach a second-straight championship game.  

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The Falcons were here last year, even if they limped to Houston. With a rash of injuries, including four ACL tears and a shoulder operation, Bowling Green was overpowered by defending champion Kentucky in the final, 57-14. They’re back, again facing a very strong SCRC champ in the title game, but this time healthy. 

Bowling Green’s strength is in its pack, evidenced in the semifinals with the Falcon scrum dominating Louisville’s. Hooker Phil Tracey is the anchor of a formidable front row, including Ralph Merz and Cody Luther at prop. The Falcons have capable and crafty playmakers, if a bit sleight, in halfback Jacob Capel and fullback Joseph Apel. 

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The Vols are paced by a strong kicking game. Flyhalf Brendan O’Neill leads the field position battle with his boots from hand, and fullback Vincent Keller is lethal from the tee, slotting 106 points so far this season. They also boast a formidable back row of flankers Nick Orefice and Niko Zaharas and No. 8 Roman Funkhouser, and Aidan O’Connor anchors a strong front row, as well. 

These teams last met in 2021, in the final of USA Rugby’s fall D1AA playoffs, with Tennessee winning, 36-32, in Charlotte, NC. Bowling Green also won USA Rugby’s fall playoff in 2018, over St. Joe’s. But neither program has a national championship to its name, until Saturday. 

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Tennessee and Bowling Green share one common opponent from the regular season – Ohio State. The Vols beat the Buckeyes, 48-17, back in September. The Falcons fell to OSU the following week, 36-8.

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The DI-AA national title game kicks off Saturday at 12 p.m. CST at SaberCats Stadium. The game will be streamed live on NCR TV with live pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage by The College Rugby Show. 

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