Michigan men’s rugby (4-6 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) wrapped up a long fall season in November, finishing seventh overall in conference standings. After starting the season with a dominant win against Cincinnati, the Wolverines lost four straight — including two in Big Ten play. Tough conference losses defined the Michigan season, driving a disappointing finish despite moments of strong play in its final month.
Facing the Bearcats on Aug. 26, the Wolverines looked to set the tone for 15’s season with a statement win by erasing the sour memory of the previous season’s struggles.
And they did just that, leaning on experience to control Cincinnati, and winning 38-8. Seniors Grant Sasina, George Janke, and fifth-year Nathan Feldman facilitated a strong offensive showing, putting the game out of question early on. The woes of 2021 appeared long gone, and the Wolverines appeared to have a formula for success: featuring its veterans as focal points.
But four straight losses marked a departure from that formula. In a 15-44 loss to Western Michigan, Michigan struggled to convert kicks and penalties, while the Broncos excelled in both areas. That phase of the game kept the Wolverines at bay throughout.
Those struggles continued in their next matchups, in back-to-back games against Notre Dame.
The first game, a 0-43 shutout in South Bend, didn’t count for conference standings. Just a week later, The Irish earned another victory over Michigan that did count — this time winning just 24-5. Senior Langston Sholl scored the lone try for the Wolverines, but the improved play wasn’t nearly enough to end the seven-year losing streak against Notre Dame.
A subsequent ugly 21-60 loss to rival Ohio State made Michigan winless in September. After trailing 0-38 at halftime, late tries from junior Armen Vartanian and senior Braden Loughane made the final line easier to stomach. But the Wolverines were thoroughly outplayed throughout, and left Columbus desperate for a turning point.
And they didn’t have to wait long.
Michigan handled Maryland, 46-17, in its next matchup. Young talent played a key role in that win, with sophomore Shea Loughane and freshman Luke Zana scoring for the Wolverines. The play of the game, though, came from George Janke. As the first half wound down, Janke stepped in front of a Terrapin pass deep in Michigan territory and took it 80 meters for a “pick 5.” With a half of rugby still to play, Janke’s play effectively put the game away for the Wolverines.
The Maryland game was the team’s most impressive performance to that point in the season. Strong defensive play and well-rounded offensive dominance on the road earned Michigan its first win since August.
Its second came one game later, though no rugby was actually played. Northwestern forfeit to the Wolverines on parents weekend, opting not to travel from Illinois and robbing UMRFC seniors of one final home game in front of their families.
Suddenly, after an abysmal start to its season, Michigan found itself in a position to clinch a top-three spot in the Big Ten. The stage was set: a win against in-state rival Michigan State, in the first “Battle for the Mitten” matchup since the onset of the pandemic, would determine the third-place finisher in the conference. Under the lights, at the Lansing Lugnuts’ Jackson Field in Lansing, the Wolverines had an opportunity to realize their preseason goals and move into the upper echelon of Big Ten rugby.
But when that time came, they fell short.
Outmuscled by the Spartans from start to finish, Michigan fell 17-33, removing itself from contention for a top spot in the conference. Michigan State worked their significant advantage in both size and physicality, relying on scrums to dominate throughout.
With the loss, the Wolverines were out of the top three. A subsequent loss to Wisconsin on the road took them out of the top five, dooming them to a seventh-place match against Purdue to determine the conference’s lowest finisher.
And while they won that match to clinch a seventh-place finish, much was left to be desired in those final weeks of play.
Despite flashes of success in those final two losses, and the dominant win over Purdue in the season finale, the final stretch of games reflected the weakest qualities of Michigan — struggling to produce offense consistently, losing scrums and lacking aggression at times.
Young talent emerged throughout the year: several players transitioned from second side to the top unit, and many more led that group to a 4-5 record, including wins over Michigan State and Maryland.
Sophomores Otto Janke and Shea Loughane are two among many young players that will continue to aid the development of the rugby club in future seasons, bringing experience with both units with them to try to elevate the UMRFC program.
But the Wolverines will also graduate some crucial players. Losing graduate Nathan Feldman, and seniors Luke Boll, Janke, Loughane, Devin Riley, Grant Sasina, Langston Sholl, Tom Southam and Wyatt Tyrna will force UMRFC to replace much of its starting lineup next season.
And when things start back up next fall, Michigan will find itself in a similar position as it did the year prior: trying to erase the memory of its disappointing previous season.
