On December 12, 2021, as the sun set over the quiet streets of North Campus, Michigan Rugby players descended upon Palmer Commons for the annual Intrasquads draft. Team leaders from the Dudes, Bennies and Sues huddled amongst themselves, parsing through the list of 39 draft-eligible players and passing around hushed remarks about prospective teammates. As the proceedings commenced and each team selected new players into their ranks, the foundations of the Intrasquad Tournament began to fall into place.
A month has passed since the draft, and the ferocious debates over whose team is superior have largely subsided. Each team has a valid reason to believe that they should be pre-tournament favorites. The Dudes boast an impressive slate of first side starters from the fall’s 15s squad; the Sues are led by the two Michigan Rugby captains; the Bennies have enough size to pick-and-go their way to a championship match. Each team’s strengths, weaknesses and glaring shortcomings were considered in crafting the first Intrasquads Power Rankings of 2022.
#3 Bennies
Bennies enters the 2022 Intrasquads season with one looming question: Can they leverage their size to win 7s games? Their roster sheet includes Thomas Majure, Logan Przysiecki, and Kyle Spence, three starting locks from the 15s season whose specialty is running over—not around—opposing players. Team captains Thomas Majure and Nathan Feldman, a Second-Team All Big Ten fullback (and a large fellow, himself), understood that a downsizing was needed to field a competitive 7s roster; their second-round pick went to Shea Loughnane, a freshman wing who earned himself first-side minutes in the fall with dazzling footwork and rapid acceleration.
The rest of the Bennies’ outfit offers a diverse array of talent. Alec Hanson will prove useful as a sure-handed passer, while Jackson Cox, Max Xie and Peter Marcus will all add a dynamic presence on the wings. Senior Nathan Feldman is straightforward in describing his squad. “We respect each other and play well together.” He expects his teammates’ comradery to pay dividends on the field. “We beat our opponents with teamwork rather than individual efforts.”
While Bennies will be forced to rely on big men to step outside their comfort zone, one should not forget that the reigning 7s champions, Sues, rode a similarly hefty roster en route to a championship in 2020. The proud men of Bennies will surely use this spot in the rankings for motivation as winter rugby heats up.
#2 Sues
Sues are the reigning Intrasquads champions from the last time the tournament was held in 2020. While they lost valuable pieces over the hiatus, they retained two studs, Braden Loughnane and George Janke, and recruited some promising help via the draft. Their first two picks, Jamie Willcox and Armen Vartanian, are two potential game-changers. Jamie is a freshman from South Africa with a natural feel for the game, and Armen is a hard-charging center who, despite a lack of experience, competed for first side minutes in the fall. Akeem Mucker and Grant Sasina add lethal speed and quick moves, and Brett Silber, a starting center and wing for much of the fall season, combines athleticism and experience for a very complete Sues roster.
Sues’ captain George Janke has a lot of confidence in his side. Janke believes that “other people talking about Sues” means they “are doing something right.” Their status as reigning champs may have something to do with it. “Players who aren’t on Sues wish they were on Sues.”
As Loughnane and Janke prepare to captain Michigan Rugby into the 7s season, they will first have to organize their squad to compete with the consensus #1 preseason team: the Dudes.
#1 Dudes
There is not much debate to be had concerning which of the three rosters is the most game-ready heading into Intrasquads. In other words: the Dudes are stacked. The list of first side players is long: Carter Lyon, starting flyhalf; Conor Egan and Max Rector, starting wings; Tommy Hendricks, Cesar Orozco, Wyatt Tyrna, and Bill Young, all front rowers who enjoyed first side minutes; Andrew Backer and Luke Boll, starting flankers; and, the #1 overall pick in the draft, Ben Henchman, a starting center whose long strides, quick cuts and sharp passes terrorized defenses throughout the fall season. The Dudes’ second and third-round acquisitions of Otto Janke and Matthew Daines provide further firepower for their machine.
The Dudes are not lacking confidence. Senior Bill Young describes the Dudes’ style of rugby as “fast, violent and in your face.” Their lack of returning experience means that experienced players will be tasked with bringing new guys up to speed. Young is up for the challenge: “Grab your popcorn folks, cause the Dudes are back.”
How the Dudes’ players gel when Intrasquads play begins on January 24th is an open question. One thing is well-known: once they do, they will be a scary sight for their opponents. The Bennies and Sues are up for the challenge.
