STEUBENVILLE, OHIO - Franciscan University has been selected to host the Allegheny Rugby Union (ARU) Championships on Saturday, November 4th. There will be three games of 15s rugby played on the Upper Rugby Pitch on campus with start times at 10:00 a.m., noon, and 2:00 p.m. 

#6 Franciscan will play in the opening matchup against #10 Slippery Rock in the ARU Cohen Cup. This is the Championship game for the Men's Small College Division. These two nationally ranked teams met in the regular season in Steubenville on October 7th, as Franciscan won 22-5. Less than two minutes into that match, the Barons saw themselves trailing 5-0, but they would rally and score 22 unanswered points to earn their first win against the Rock in 15s rugby since 2021. Slippery Rock comes in as the defending ARU Champions with just the one blemish on their record this season. The winner will earn their way into the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) National Tournament. Their next matchup would come in Saint Louis in the Sweet 16 on November 18th.

At noon, the ARU Division II Championship will be played. #1 Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) takes on Miami (OH). The #1 team in the nation, IUP, comes in as the favorite in this matchup. They have won the last two National Championships in 7s rugby, and they have also made some long postseason runs in 15s. Miami has not appeared on the Top 20 poll yet this season, but they come into this game with convincing wins over Middle Tennessee State and Kent State over the last couple of weeks. 

The last matchup at 2:00 p.m. will be the ARU Small College Challenge Cup with California (PA) against Hillsdale. This will be a return trip to Steubenville for California, as the Barons were able to defeat the Vulcans in the end of September. Hillsdale will make the longer trip in from Michigan for their first game in Steubenville. They have had a couple of impressive wins this season, including one over the University of Michigan. 

Admission for adults will be $5 and $2 for students. Franciscan Students are free with proof of Student ID. All fans should be on the opposite side of the benches or in the end zones.

For those unable to attend in person, all games will be streamed at this link.

Stay Connected 
Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage.