Atlantic Super Regional to Complete DIII Bracket on Saturday

The Atlantic is the only Super Regional Championship (SRC) that hosts a complete Division III competition for women’s clubs. One of the four semifinal spots has been occupied since October, and the remaining three berths will be awarded on Saturday, April 13. The semifinalists will then follow the Atlantic SRC format: April 20 semifinals at Capital or New England locations, then May 4 finals in Wilmington, Del. For women’s DIII, the 15s seasons ends at the Super Regional stage, as there is no progression to USA Club Rugby nationals.

Then Atlantic is the only Super Region hosting its championship across two weekends and in multiple locations. The three other Super Regions bring all of their divisional contenders to one site on May 4-5, which allows teams to book logistics as soon as they qualify for the post-season, not when their opponents qualify. That’s the situation in which Union County finds itself. The Mudturtles won Empire in October 2023, but since its SRC semifinal opponent — Capital, which is also the host — isn’t named until April 13, the New Jersey team has had to sit and wait. The Empire teams are the only ones that, if they progress to the finals, are guaranteed back-to-back trips outside of their union, so being able to set logistics is important.

Union County reactivated in mid-March and will have a month’s worth of warmups against DII and DIII teams before SRC semis. It will know its opponent on Saturday, when D.C. Revolution travels to Frederick for the DIII Capital championship. Frederick went 10-0 in the six-team league, while the Revolution finished 7-3. When the two faced each other on March 16, Frederick won 21-15, so hopes are high for a solid title bout.

Union vs. Capital champion happens April 20 in Capital, and the victor advances to the May 4 final in Wilmington, Del.

New England and EPRU are on the other side of the bracket. New England shifted its schedule a bit this year, playing all of its regular-season games in the fall and then saving the post-season matches for the spring. DIII only has the final, and that will happen this Saturday at Canton, Mass. (The women’s NERFU DII final between Albany and Worcester will also occur in Canton). South Shore is the reigning Atlantic champion and went undefeated in the fall, while Amoskeag (a former DIII champ) finished 3-1. South Shore shut out Amoskeag in their regular-season match, but that was in early September, and a lot can happen in eight months.

The NERFU champion will then host the EPRU champion on April 20 for the other Atlantic semifinals. North Bay went 7-0 in EPRU, and the Maryland team will host Brandywine on Saturday for the title. The teams just played each other on April 6, and the relatively new North Bay won by 30 points. Center Veronica Blair scored four tries, and wing Jen Holland added two. Hooker Savannah Purdy nailed seven of eight conversions for 14 points. Exciting to see a new team contend and bulk up the competitive landscape.