On Saturday, March 16th, Michigan Men’s rugby hosted the Michigan Cup developmental tournament at Mitchell Field. Coming off a 2nd side victory in the 2023 Michigan cup, 2nd side captain Jamie Wilcox felt confident in the team’s prospects, returning many key players alongside rising stars Gage Gretter and Sam Glusker.
The Cup saw two pools of 5 teams, with both sides facing off against Calvin, Grand Valley State, Michigan State, Northern Michigan, and Bowling Green. In the first game, the Michigan 2s faced off against the BGSU 3s. Despite a competitive first half, which saw Michigan only up 2 at the half, a Tommy Hamman led second half brought him his first hat trick of the day and the team a 31-10 victory.
In the next game, the Michigan 3s took the field against rivals MSU. Although the Michigan 3s held the lead after 7 minutes, thanks to a pair of tries by Oliver Camp and Joshua Nicholson, MSU pitched a second half shutout, ultimately winning 20-10. Looking to avenge their team, the Michigan 2s next took the field against MSU’s 2nd side. In a game dominated by newcomers Gretter and Glusker, the 2s took their second victory of the day, defeating MSU 31-0.
Over the course of the tournament, the 2nd side played dominantly, despite the absence of star Tommy Hammam for most of their matches. In their subsequent battles against Calvin and GVSU, Gretter and Glusker proved key, pairing a dominant offense with an indomitable defense that only allowed 12 points in their last two pool games. The 29-7 win over Calvin and 33-5 victory over GVSU granted the 2s a golden path to the championship match.
On the other side of the tournament, the Michigan 3s put heart on the field. Led by captain Michael Ackerman, Soham Damle, and Joshua Nicholson, who each registered minutes as 2nd side subs, the 3s faced off against NMU, GVSU, and BGSU in their final three pool matches. Despite flashes of promising offense, including an assisted try by Nicholson against NMU, the side couldn’t maintain possession, giving up a combined 148 points. In their final two matches, the 3s were shut out in a 0-55 loss to GVSU and 0-48 defeat to BGSU.
The Michigan 2s and BGSU 2s faced off in the championship match, with the winner taking home the coveted Michigan Cup. Despite a dominant performance in the rest of the tournament and the return of Tommy Hamman, BGSU took home the Cup with a 29-7 victory.
The Michigan 2s look to bounce back in the Fighting Irish 7s this Saturday, where they will be joined by a well-rested first side.
Full Match Results Below:
