In the first of three USA Club Rugby weekend round-ups, Division I has seen two regions contest regular-season 15s matches so far: the Midwest and East Coast. The Midwest will name its champion in November, and that title-winner will be the first team to secure a spot in the Super Regional Championships in the spring. [lead graphic c/o @midwestpremiership]
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The Midwest Premiership already has already banked four game weeks, having kicked off on August 26. Detroit (2-2) has been active every weekend so far and picked up its second win, 34-12, against Cincinnati (0-3) last Saturday. Captain Kris Smith led the way with four tries from fullback. The team heads into a bye this weekend and readies for rematches starting Sept. 30.
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Also in the Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh Forge (3-0) remains undefeated after a 62-5 win against Buffalo (1-2). Fullback Holly Ingram led all point-scorers with 22 on two tries and six conversions. Center Jaime Filipek, flanker Amy Nguyen and wing Matway scored two tries apiece, and prop Sarah Scott and lock Tachelle Johnson also dotted down.
In the Western Conference, the Chicago Lions (1-1) rebounded from its single-digit loss to reigning Midwest champ Metropolis (2-0) with a 13o-point shutout against Chicago Rugby Club (0-2). Aleia Bellcross (13) and Kelley Hirt (2) converted 15 of the 20 tries. The Valkyries served the Milwaukee Scylla (1-1) its first loss of the fall with a 75-14 decision. No. 8 Katie Weber scored four tries, and wing Steph Alliev added 25 points on a try and 10 conversions.
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For the second-straight season, the Division I East Coast is divided into North and South pools. The former is two New England (NERFU) teams in Boston and Providence, and the South involves five teams from the Mid-Atlantic and South regions. Both groups held their first regular-season games of the fall last weekend.
In the South, NOVA (1-0) downed the D.C. Furies (1-1) 41-0. Center Ariel Johnson led try-scorers with two, and flyhalf Camille Johnson kicked 11 points on four conversions and two penalties. The Piranhas will face Raleigh this Saturday in the Venom’s first match of the fall. Philadelphia activates on Sept. 30, and the Atlanta Harlequins (0-1) won’t take the pitch again until Oct. 21. Teams play each other home and away across the fall and spring.
In the East Coast’s North pool, Boston beat Providence 50-7. To fill out the fall schedule, they’ll play Beantown’s second team, friendlies against the strongest DII teams in NERFU (Albany, Worcester, Burlington), and a crossover against a DII Empire GU team.
ON THE HORIZON
Seattle and ORSU are both active this weekend in the Pacific Northwest Premiership. The other DI teams across the country reside in the Frontier/Texas and SoCal/Southwest regions. The former plays a split season and hasn’t released schedules yet; and the latter is a spring-only competition and will start moving at the turn of the new year.
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