Rugby Opens Playoff Hunt Saturday Against Mary Washington

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The hunt for the program's second national championship begins on Saturday for the top-seeded Navy men's rugby team (8-1) when it plays host eighth-seeded Mary Washington (4-7). The first-round of the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) Division I-A playoffs will take place at the Prusmack Rugby Center, with kickoff set for 11:05 a.m.

The game will be streamed on the Navy Athletics YouTube channel.

The East Runs Through Annapolis
The road to the CRAA National Championship in the East bracket will go through Annapolis for the third time in the last four seasons after the Midshipmen earned the No. 1 seed.

The Midshipmen are 5-0 this season on their home pitch, outscoring opponents 255-65. Navy averages 51 points per game at home and has allowed fewer than 20 points in four of those five contests.

The Mids are 3-0 against East Region opponents at home this season, including wins over No. 3 Life (29-21), No. 8 Mary Washington (65-3), and No. 6 Mount St. Mary's (59-19).

If Navy Wins
With a win, the Midshipmen would host a quarterfinal April 18 against the winner of No. 4 Army and No. 5 Arkansas State. A semifinal appearance would put Navy at home again April 25 against one of the following: No. 2 Lindenwood, No. 3 Life, No. 6 Mount St. Mary's, or No. 7 Penn State.

The national championship game is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at Kuntz Memorial Stadium in Indianapolis.

Navy Notes

Navy enters the playoffs having last competed March 13, when it defeated ninth-ranked BYU 54-28.
Roanin Krieger leads the team in scoring (139), conversions (49) and penalty kicks (seven). The program's all-time leading scorer enters the weekend with 630 career points.
Andrew Baublitz, the program's all-time leading try scorer, leads the team with eight tries this season, including four in the spring. Max Smith has been an electric runner for the Mids, scoring seven tries this year.
Navy's kicking has been a strength throughout the season, going 50-for-55 (91%) on conversion kicks.
Ten Midshipmen have appeared in all nine games this season.

Scouting Mary Washington

Mary Washington is making its first playoff appearance since the 2023-24 season.
The Eagles finished the regular season with a 4-7 record, including a 4-4 finish to the year.
UMW lost its three spring games this season to Lindenwood (22-13), Mount St. Mary's (34-25), and Penn State (20-5).
The Eagles finished the regular season with a 2-2 road record, including victories over Penn State (24-22) and Southern Virginia (29-25).
Jack Joyce led the team in scoring in Rugby East play with 34 points on eight penalty kicks and five conversions.

Navy vs. Mary Washington

Navy boasts a 4-0 record in the series history against Mary Washington, including a 65-3 victory in September in Annapolis.
The two teams met in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in Annapolis, where the Midshipmen defeated the Eagles 41-7.
Navy is 3-0 on its home pitch in the series, averaging 41.3 points per game.

First-Round Games
East Region