NORTHFIELD, Vt. - For the seventh consecutive season, the Norwich University men's rugby team will head to the national stage as they prepare to compete in the 2025 Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) Men's Division II Cup.

The Cadets earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region and will open tournament play on Friday, Apr. 25, at 11:20 a.m. against No. 7-seeded University of Memphis.  The tournament will take place at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., with all matches streamed live on The Rugby Network and YouTube.

The Cadets enter the CRC following a dominant spring season that most recently saw them go 5-0 to capture the North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby Conference (NACRC) 7s Championship.  Norwich took down the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the University of Vermont, the United States Coast Guard Academy, and the University of Maine before meeting Coast Guard again in the final, where the Cadets cruised to a 31-5 victory.

The championship marked a return to the top for the Cadets after falling to the University of Maine in last year's title match, and also clinched Norwich's seventh consecutive CRC appearance.  The Cadets now hold a 34-1 record in NACRC 7s play over the past seven seasons, having reached the conference final each year.

Through the spring since returning from their spring break trip to Ireland, Norwich has compiled a 13-5 overall record in 7s play.  The Cadets have battled through a competitive schedule, including appearances at the Bermuda 7s Tournament, Old Blue 7s Tournament, and their home Chris Munn 7s Tournament.

Head Coach Bob Weggler, in his 24th season, praised his team's discipline and competitive drive, noting the effort and consistency across multiple weekends.  "We've been proud of how the boys have competed this spring at the Bermuda 7s, Old Blue 7s, Chris Munn 7s, and NACR 7s," Weggler said.  "If we bring confidence and discipline to our 7s play, then we can compete with anyone in the Division II bracket."

The 16-team Men's Division II Cup field features top programs from across the country.  Norwich headlines the West Region as the second seed behind top-seeded Northwestern University, winners of the Great Midwest 7s.  The region also includes Colorado Mesa, UNC Wilmington, Miami (Ohio), Georgetown, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Memphis.

In the East Region, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), the 2022 and 2023 CRC and 2023 and 2024 15s national champions, enters as the top seed, joined by Coastal Carolina, Scranton, Montana State, Towson, Tennessee Tech, Coast Guard, and Vermont.

Norwich's first-round opponent, Memphis, returns to the national stage after competing in last year's tournament.  The Tigers fell to Scranton in the opening round but rebounded with a win over St. Louis before dropping their final contest to Colorado Mesa.  Memphis is known for their physical style of play and will provide a strong challenge in Friday's morning match-up.

Last year, Norwich finished eighth in the Men's Division II Cup.  The Cadets opened with a 26-21 win over Northwestern before falling to Georgetown in the quarterfinals.  They then dropped matches to Montana State and Miami (Ohio) to round out the weekend.  With a more seasoned group, the Cadets are fully focused on a deep run in 2025.

Should Norwich advance, they will face the winner of No. 3 Colorado Mesa and No. 6 Georgetown in Friday's quarterfinal.  Semifinals and the championship game are scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 26, also at the Maryland SoccerPlex.  The loser of each opening-round match will fall into the consolation bracket and continue play across both days.

With momentum from a strong spring, a conference title in hand, and a seasoned group of Cadets ready to lead the charge, Norwich enters the 2025 CRC poised to contend on the national stage once again.