The days are getting shorter, the temperature is getting colder, and the colors are beginning to change. To the fans of Michigan Rugby, this signifies one thing: fall 15s are back.
This year the conference looks a little different. Notre Dame has joined, bringing the total number of teams to eight. With this, the league has moved to a two division system; Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Notre Dame make up the East Division, while Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, and Wisconsin make up the West Division. Each division will compete in a three-game round-robin during the regular season, before meeting in a tournament in November to determine the Conference Champion.
With this format change, the Maize and Blue have more room to play new teams and improve their skills before heading into the conference slate. For the complete schedule, head to the homepage of mrugby.com. For more information on the individual matchups, keep reading.
The Wolverines open the season at home against the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats play in the Mid-American Conference, in which they finished in fourth place out of eight teams last year. To say these two opponents are unfamiliar would be an understatement, as the last time they met in 15s was back in the Fall of 2003 when the UMRFC was still a Men’s Club.
The home stand continues the following week against the Western Michigan Broncos. Western finished last year 5-3 and took home second place in the Mid-American Conference. This game will be an early-season test for the Wolverines against one of the strongest teams in the state. The last time the two met was in the Spring of 2018 when the Broncos eked out a 14-7 win.
The team will enjoy a bye week before heading down to South Bend for the first away contest of the season. Notre Dame hosts Michigan in a non-conference clash for the Parseghian Cup, a chance not only to play rugby against a formidable opponent but also to raise money for a great cause. The Parseghian Cup is sponsored by the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Fund, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Niemann-Pick Disease. For more information about the Organization and the game, follow the links below.
https://parseghianfund.nd.edu/events/parseghian-cup/
https://parseghianfund.nd.edu/
While the first side is in South Bend, the second side will be taking on Hillsdale at home.
The following week conference play opens at home against a familiar foe. A week after traveling to South Bend, the Wolverines meet the Fighting Irish again, this time in Ann Arbor for Olde Blue Weekend. Last year, the Irish beat the Wolverines 34-10. This year the game will mean more than bragging rights for the two sides, as Notre Dame has joined the Big Ten Universities Rugby Conference.
On the final weekend of September, the Wolverines continue their conference slate, traveling to Columbus on Friday night to take on the reigning conference champs. This game may be the hardest on the schedule, and will truly show how much the team has improved since last season. Last year the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 50-5 en route to a 7-2 record and their first-ever Big Ten Rugby Championship.
To open in October, the team will travel to the nation’s capital to take on the Maryland Terrapins. Despite both schools’ 50+ years of rugby, they have never met on the pitch. This game is a great way to grow relationships with other members of the Big Ten who are not yet in the Rugby Conference. Maryland finished last season 0-6 in the Chesapeake Collegiate Rugby Conference, but don’t let that record fool you into thinking this matchup will be a cakewalk for the Wolverines. The Chesapeake Conference is one of the strongest in the nation, and Maryland proved their mettle at the 2022 CRCs, upsetting a couple of opponents who were clear favorites.
The team will have a week off during the University’s Fall Break, before playing their final home contest of the season. An opponent for the Parents Weekend game has yet to be determined. Once an opponent is confirmed, an update will be posted on the club’s social media accounts, so make sure to follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up to date on all things Michigan Rugby.
To end the conference slate and regular season, the Wolverines take on their arch-rivals, the Michigan State Spartans. The game is a continuation of the Battle for the Mitten series played at Jackson Field, home of the Lansing Lugnuts, that began in 2018. The Wolverines look to avenge their loss last year and reclaim control of the state from MSU.
Over the first two weekends of November, the Maize and Blue will round out their season with the Big Ten finals series. The first weekend will feature both Championship Semifinals and Consolation Semifinals as the teams in the East Division play those in the West Division according to division standing. The following week all eight big ten teams will meet in South Bend, Indiana, to determine placing from 1st to 8th, along with a game between the best Second Side in the East and the best Second Side in the West.
We hope to see you at a game in the fall proudly sporting the Maize and Blue, and as always, Go Blue!
