Teams have started booking their spots in the 2023 College Rugby Championship (CRC) 7s, which occurs April 28-30 in Boyds, Md., outside of Washington, D.C. More than 120 teams in eight divisions (four apiece for the men and women) will report to the National Collegiate Rugby-run event, which takes place at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
RELATED: CRC 7s Moves to D.C. Area
There are Premier, Division I Club, Division II and Small College competitions for the women, and the means for qualification are detailed on the event site. Last Saturday, the Great Lakes conference held its DII qualifier, welcoming six teams to Grand Rapids, Mich. The field was divided into two groups of three teams for pool play. Grand Valley State Univ. beat Ferris State 30-5 and Central Michigan 50-0, securing a berth to the final. Ferris State and Central Michigan tied each other 25-25, and so their point differential against GVSU determined who moved onto the 3rd and 5th place games.
A similar situation occurred in the opposing pool. Saginaw Valley State and Bowling Green State tied 15-15, and they both beat Oakland University by large margins. But Saginaw won by 50 points, whereas Bowling Green won by 35, sending the former to the final and latter to 3rd place.
Central Michigan beat Oakland 30-5 for fifth, and Ferris State topped Bowling Green 20-15 for third. In the final, Grand Valley State repeated as conference champion with a 35-20 win against Saginaw Valley, earning an automatic berth to the CRC 7s Division II competition.
The Lakers participated in last year’s CRC in New Orleans and played up in DI Club (there was no Division II in 2022). The Michigan team finished 4th overall and will once again represent the Great Lakes region. Grand Valley will be joined by fellow DII conference champions: Learn more.
GREAT LAKES 7S RESULTS
Grand Valley State 30-5 Ferris State
Grand Valley State 50-0 Central Michigan
Ferris State 25-25 Central Michigan
Saginaw Valley State 15-15 Bowling Green State
Saginaw Valley State 50-0 Oakland Univ
Bowling Green State 40-5 Oakland Univ
5th Place
Central Michigan 30-5 Oakland
3rd Place
Ferris State 20-15 Bowling Green State
Final
Grand Valley State 35-20 Saginaw Valley State