Wildcats, Gators, Chanticleers Earn 1st Bids to National 7s

The first tickets to the 2026 Collegiate Rugby Championship have been punched, with Kentucky men, and Florida and Coastal Carolina women winning automatic qualifiers Saturday. The Wildcats, Gators and Chanticleers are bound for the Maryland Soccerplex in Boyds, MD April 24-26, where they’ll be three of 144 teams vying for a national title. 

Kentucky went a perfect 5-0 at the Pitt Dome 7s over the weekend, earning the first bid of the spring to the 16-team Men’s Division I Club. The Wildcats beat Ohio, Pitt and Maryland in pool play, the closest contest being a 12-point win over the Terrapins. Then they cruised past Delaware in the semifinals, 40-12, before squeaking past Western Michigan, 22-17, in the final. 

Delaware rebounded in the third-place match, nipping Ohio by a conversion. That’s a result that could prove helpful come Selection Saturday. 

Like Kentucky, Florida’s women went a perfect 5-0 Saturday to win Love at First Ruck 7s in Tallahassee, FL and become the first Women’s DI Club team to qualify for nationals. The Gators opened with a big win over Citadel, 46-0, before winning three-straight tight pool matches over Central Florida, 24-15, Florida State, 22-12, and Clemson, 24-19. In a rematch with the rival Seminoles in the final, Florida emerged 17-12 champions.

In Love at First Ruck’s DII competition, Coastal Carolina was also unbeaten. The Chanticleers outscored opponents 100-20 in pool play, defeating St. Thomas, Kennesaw State, Alabama, and Georgia Tech. In the other pool, South Florida also went 4-0, but Coastal was two tries better in the final, winning 29-17 to earn the first bid in Women’s DII. 

There are no qualifiers on Valentine’s Day weekend, but qualification heats right back up the following week with five tournaments Feb. 21-22.  

Written by Pat Clifton of The College Rugby Show. New episodes air every other Friday through Selection Saturday April 18th. 

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