ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's rugby team will open its 2025-26 season this Saturday when it hosts Queens University of Charlotte (1-1) at 1 p.m. at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis.
 
Live Video
Fans can follow live coverage HERE.
 
Notes for Fans Attending
There is no admission charge for rugby matches at the Prusmack Rugby Center.

Spectator parking is available in the lots on the north side of the Brigade Sports Complex (64 Greenbury Point Road, Annapolis, MD 21402). Overflow parking is available in the open space on the west side of the facility.

Alcohol consumption is prohibited at the Prusmack Rugby Center and in the surrounding parking areas.
 
Season Preview
Seniors Michael Strehle and Austin Taylor will serve as captains for the upcoming season. Strehle appeared in 13 games and made 12 starts during the 2024-25 season. He scored three tries for a total of 15 points, including his first career try in a 35-10 victory over Penn State last September.

Taylor played in 15 games and made 14 starts last season. He finished his junior campaign with two tries and 10 total points. His first try came in the fall during a 49-19 victory over Queens and with his second coming in the spring in a 27-8 win against seventh-ranked Mount St. Mary's.

Navy also returns its all-time leading scorer, Roanin Krieger, who has tallied 535 points through three seasons. Krieger led the Mids in scoring last year with 51 conversion kicks, 25 penalty kicks and two tries. He also topped the Rugby East Conference in total points (101) for the second-straight year.

Andrew Baublitz is the program's all-time leader in tries with 27, including 14 last season. He was second on the team in total points with 70 last year.

Navy will begin the season with four-consecutive home games, including three Rugby East matchups against Mary Washington (Sept. 13), Mount St. Mary's (Sept. 27) and Life (Oct. 4).
 
2024-25 Season in Review
Navy finished the 2024-25 season with a 15-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in Rugby East Conference play to capture its third-straight league championship.

Highlights from the fall campaign included victories over service academy rivals Army and Air Force. Navy defeated Army, 32-5, in Annapolis in the Star Game, part of the Army-Navy Star Series presented by USAA. The Mids also handled Air Force, 79-14, in Glendale, Colo., to claim the Lt. Col. Kevin Shea Memorial Rugby Cup for the seventh-straight season.

The Midshipmen earned the top seed in the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA) Division I-A Playoffs for the third-consecutive year. Navy began the playoffs with a dominant 45-7 win over No. 15 Penn State but ultimately fell to Lindenwood, 10-3, in the quarterfinals.

Navy outscored its opponents 655-248 last season. The Mids scored an average of 38.5 points per game, while the defense allowed just 14.5 points per game.
 
Scouting Queens
Queens split its season-opening doubleheader last weekend, defeating Kentucky, 47-13, before falling to Tennessee, 63-0.

Roan Shawver led the Royals with two tries, while Landon Starnes, Chase Desate, Keanin Kamp, CJ Thompson and Jack Rice each added a try last week. Hilton Oliver handled kicking duties and converted six of his seven attempts.

Queens finished the 2024-25 season with a 10-3 record that featured a notable 29-26 win over Life University.
 
Navy vs. Queens
Saturday's matchup will mark the third meeting between the two programs. Navy has won both previous contests by a combined score of 120-19.

The Mids return six players who scored in last year's win over the Royals. Baublitz, Avion Ganse, Max Smith, Strehle, and Taylor each recorded tries, while Krieger went 7-for-7 on conversion kicks.