Quinnipiac celebrates its second NIRA trophy. /// Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics •
The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) held its championship and the USA Rugby DI Fall Championship is down to two teams, and the DI College Fall Top 20 rankings adjust.
Quinnipiac and Central Washington were tied at 24 at the 50th minute, and then the Bobcats raced away for the 46-24 victory. Quinnipiac won its second-straight NIRA title, while league newcomer Central Washington replaced Army from the 2015 final. In DI, UConn and Air Force return to the fall final, set for the weekend of Dec. 3-4. Both of the Huskies’ games were close wins, but wins nonetheless, while Air Force posted more comfortable point margins.
There will be one more ranking in two weeks, when the DI fall final is contested.
DI COLLEGE FALL TOP 20
Rank (Previous Rank) Team (League/Post-season Record). Results
1 (1) Quinnipiac (8-1). Defeated Central Washington 46-24 for NIRA title, Army 65-8 in SF
2 (3) Penn State (7-0). Defeated Notre Dame 53-10 for Big 10 title
3 (2) Central Washington (5-1). Lost 46-24 to Quinnipiac, defeated AIC 62-19
4 (4) Lindenwood (5-1). Defeated Stanford 118-0, UC Davis 38-0
5 (5) Notre Dame College (6-1). Idle
6 (6) Life (2-2-1). Defeated Stars XV 38-17
7 (7) Army (3-3). Lost 65-8 to Quinnipiac
8 (8) BYU (6-1). Defeated Utah Valley (DII) 35-17
9 (11) AIC (4-6). Lost 62-19 to Central Washington, defeated Dartmouth 33-29
10 (9) Dartmouth (7-2). Lost 33-29 to AIC
11 (10) Harvard (4-2). Idle
12 (12) Air Force (6-0). Defeated Minnesota 44-15, Texas A&M 66-14
13 (15) UConn (8-1). Defeated Notre Dame 25-19, Boston College 14-7
14 (14) Boston College (7-2). Lost 14-7 to UConn, defeated UNI 79-26
15 (13) Notre Dame (7-1). Lost 26-19 to UConn, defeated UNI 29-22
16 (16) Norwich (0-5). Lost 46-7 to Army
17 (17) Princeton (2-3). Lost 39-24 to UConn
18 (18) Minnesota (7-1). Defeated Rutgers 42-27, lost 44-15 to Air Force
19 (19) Northern Iowa (5-4). Lost 79-26 to Boston College, 29-22 to Notre Dame
20 (20) Texas A&M (5-1). Lost 66-14 to Air Force, defeated Rutgers 43-22
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