ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy men's rugby team received the top seed in the East Region for the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA) Division I-A Playoffs for the second-straight season, the league announced Monday afternoon. 

The playoffs are comprised of 16 teams, with eight in each of the two brackets.

The Mids will begin their quest to defend their national championship on Saturday, April 6 against eighth-seeded Mary Washington at noon in Annapolis.

"It's national championship season! We could not be more excited to get our knockout games underway," said director of rugby Gavin Hickie. "We are laser-focused on April 6th at home against Mary Washington. We have earned the right to practice together for two more weeks and we intend to make the most of our time together."

Navy claimed the top seed in the east half of the bracket after it finished the regular season with a 14-1 record. The Mids won their second-straight Rugby East conference championship with a 7-0 record in league play during the fall campaign. Four of Navy's wins during the fall season were against opponents ranked in the latest CRAA Power Rankings (No. 3 Life, No. 12 Army, No. 17 Penn State, No. 19 Air Force). The Mids also defeated No. 11 Mount St. Mary's and Penn State again during the spring season. 

Navy will need four wins in the playoffs to win its second-straight national title. A victory in their first-round match would allow the Mids to host the quarterfinal match on April 13. That opponent would be either fourth-seeded Arkansas State or fifth-seeded Davenport. Navy would then advance to the semifinals to face either second-seeded Life, third-seeded Lindenwood, sixth-seeded Mount St. Mary's or seventh-seeded Army on April 20. 

The national championship game will be played at Sabercats Stadium in Houston, Texas on Saturday, May 4.

Fans can view the full playoff bracket below.