Welcome to the home of the Middlebury College Rugby Club;
2007 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2008 NERFU CHAMPIONS
2008 NRU CHAMPIONS
11/9: NRU CHAMPIONS!!! MCRC has won its first NRU Championship since 2002 and will represent the Northeast as the third seed in the upcoming Division II National Tournament. After trailing 15-14 at the half, the boys rallied with solid defense and capitalized on key Maine errors for a 43-25 victory. Impressive back play proved to be the difference maker for the Panthers in the second half. The Club gives its best to two graduating seniors in February and is looking forward to a restful but productive holiday season. The spring schedule and tournament information will be posted as soon as it is available.
http://media.www.middleburycampus.com/media/storage/paper446/news/2008/11/13/Sports/Mens-Rugby.Mauls.Black.Bears.For.Northeast.Championship-3541747.shtml
http://www.erugbynews.com/article.php?sec=127&a=3714
11/8: For the Second time in as many weeks the Panthers took on archrival Coast Guard Academy in a semifinal matchup. Injuries forced yet another new lineup for the club but the team didn’t miss a beat. The matchup was not its usual billing as Middlebury cruised to a 41-7 victory. Middlebury will face UMaine-Orono on Sunday for a rematch of the New England Championship game.
11/1:
The Middlebury College Rugby Club will travel to West Point next weekend after defeating Vassar College 66-7 on Saturday. The Panthers faced the second seed from the MET NY union and came out on top to improve to 9-0 on the season. After capitalizing on several first half turnovers by Vassar, the club took a 27-7 halftime lead. Despite numerous penalties and 2 yellow cards the boys were able to maintain pressure on their opponent for the entire 80 minutes. Middlebury will face the winner of the #4 St. Bonaventure vs. #5 Coast Guard match this coming Saturday at West Point.
http://www.nerugbyrefs.org/schedules/match_report.cfm?match_id=4004
10/28:
Venue change: this weekend’s quarter final match vs. Vassar College will be played in Essex, VT at the Tree Farm Athletic Complex. The venue change is due to sloppy field conditions in Middlebury.
10/26: NERFU Champions! The club has won a third straight New England Championship and will be the number 1 seed for the upcoming NRU tournament. After defeating rival Coast Guard in the semis, the boys were more then ready to face UMAINE-Orono in a rematch of the 2007 NRU semi-finals. The Middlebury pack was easily outweighed by their counterpart but never missed a beat despite the sloppy conditions. Play was restricted due to field conditions and the Panthers were able to capitalize for the 34-0 victory.
http://media.www.middleburycampus.com/media/storage/paper446/news/2008/10/30/Sports/Mens-Rugby.Blanks.Coast.Guard.And.Maine-3514814.shtml
10/25:
The MCRC faced Coast Guard in an unusual semi-final after meeting up in the NERFU and NRU Finals for the past two seasons. Solid play from the entire club resulted in a 27-0 victory over Guard. The club will face UMAINE-Orono tomorrow for the NERFU championship in Middlebury.
10/21:
The schedule for the upcoming NERFU tournament has been updated. Middlebury will be hosting Coast Guard at 11 am on Saturday followed by Brown vs. UMaine-Orono at 1 pm. A consolation match will be played at 11 am on Sunday and the winners will face off in the NERFU championship at 1 pm.
10/18:
The MCRC opened the 2008 playoffs with a 27-19 victory over the visiting Rhodies of the University of Rhode Island. The Panthers raced out to a 15-0 lead and ended the first half leading 20-5. The two teams were evenly matched throughout but the team from Middlebury created timely turnovers to come out on top. The club will host the NERFU Finals this weekend and will face the US Coast Guard Academy on Saturday for the right to defend their NERFU title on Sunday.
http://www.nerugbyrefs.org/schedules/match_report.cfm?match_id=3926
Raffle Winner:
Congratulations to the parents of MCRC player Andrew Peters '08.5 for wining our 2008 fall raffle. The winning ticket was drawn during the shrimp boil that followed the Old Boys game on Saturday. The family can choose between a trip for two to Cardiff Wales for the Australia vs. Wales match on November 29
th or $1,500 cash.
Thanks to everyone who purchased a ticket in support of the Middlebury College Rugby Club.
Old Boys Game: 
After 2 matches, the remaining members of the club took the pitch for a friendly against the old boys. The match was officiated by Chris Davis ’72 and the Old Boys featured a number of players from the original decades of the club. Despite the surprisingly lopsided score every man walked off the pitch with smiles and memories to share. The Old Boys game is back.
10/11:
With the campus empty for fall break the MCRC welcomed home a number of alumni from the 70s, 80s, and 90s for the first MCRC alumni weekend. The club played magnificently against UMASS Amherst, scoring 16 tries for a 104-3 victory. The win closes Middlebury’s 11th consecutive undefeated regular season and should provide the club with plenty of momentum going into the playoffs.
http://www.nerugbyrefs.org/schedules/match_report.cfm?match_id=3761
10/4:
The MCRC remained undefeated after a brilliant match versus the always difficult St. Michael’s College Rugby Club. Eighty minutes of solid rugby proved to be enough for the Panthers to come out on top. The final score of 38-13 demonstrates the legitimacy of the New England Union as only the competing squads understood the competiveness of their state rivalry. After trailing 10-0, the boys came back with excellent centre work and settled into their typical style of play. Both teams left everything on the pitch and should expect to see each other once the New England play-offs begin.
http://www.nerugbyrefs.org/schedules/match_report.cfm?match_id=3833
9/27:
The much anticipated regular season match-up between the Panthers of Middlebury College and the University of Vermont did not disappoint. A large crowd greeted the boys from Middlebury home and was pleased to see their dedicated side play 80 minutes of tough rugby against a strong UVM opponent. The Panthers scored quickly and put 31 points on the board in the first half. The second half was very competitive resulting in a final score of 48 to 0. The sides should meet again in the New England regional tournament as they have for the past two seasons.
Today’s game and Haka was dedicated to MCRC brother Pavlo Levkov, ('11) who tragically lost his life this summer. A memorial service will be held at 3:30 near Bi-Centennial Hall on the Middlebury College campus. His father has created a website in his memory:
http://pavlolevkiv.info/
9/20:
The MCRC easily defeated a rival NESCAC school for the second consecutive weekend. After twenty minutes of hard fought rugby and a huge Amherst defensive score, the MCRC was able to put points on the board and never looked back. The side was drastically changed from the previous week but the result was still the same. Middlebury will host UVM on the late Pavlo Levkov's ('11) birthday, this Saturday at 10 am. A memorial for Pavlo will take place at 3:30 next to Bi-Hall.
https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/studentgroups/rugby_football/articles/092008
9/13:
The MCRC opened the 2008 campaign with an impressive team performance that led to a 63 - 0 win over the host Williams College. The Panthers opened up scoring in the first minute and led 24-0 at halftime. After the intermission, the Panthers continued their excellent ball movement and extended the lead. The Panthers will return to western Massachusetts next week to face Amherst College at 1 pm.
http://www.nerugbyrefs.org/schedules/match_report.cfm?match_id=3199
9/4:
After 3 days of camp, the Panthers laced up their boots to face Norwich University for a short scrimmage. The Panthers scored on the opening phase thanks to some quick backs work and the game remained deadlocked until the second half. Norwich put down two hard fought tries but was unable to make the conversions. The tough Norwich defense stifled the Panthers at the breakdown and was able to prevent the backline from advancing.
http://www.norwichathletics.com/sports/mrugby/2008-09/news/middlebury_09-04-08
MCRC Alumni Golf Tournament and Supporter Weekend
Come be a part of the MCRC Alumni Golf Tournament and Supporter Weekend happening October 11 and 12. The Weekend festivities will start with a tailgate before the MCRC takes on UMASS Amherst at 1pm. Following the second side game there will be an Old Boys game around 4pm.
Saturday night will feature an alumni reception and banquet. The weekend will conclude with a 4-person scramble golf tournament on Sunday followed by a cook out and prize presentation. Please stay tuned for details and online registration which will be available soon.
MCRC Kicks off Super Raffle:
The MCRC will be raffling off a trip for two to Cardiff, Wales. The trip includes airfare for two, three nights hotel accommodations, and tickets to the Wales vs. Australia game on November 29. Tickets are $25 dollars a piece and the winner will be drawn on October 11.
You can purchase tickets online through our MCRC PayPal account by emailing
Men's Rugby Raffle. Include the number of tickets you would like to purchase and a bill will be generated and mailed to your email courtesy of PayPal.
MCRC Ballers and Old Boys Compete at Newport Sevens:
13 current players and alumni competed in the Newport Sevens Tournament in Newport, RI on July 26. The team lost their first game but bounced back to win two including the quarter-finals of the Plate Bracket. The ballers bowed out in the semi-finals but came up on the short end of a physical game. The team looks to compete again next year and possibly add several tournaments.
2008 Fall Schedule Announced:
The MCRC and Williams rugby will renew their rivalry this season for the opening match of the 2008 season in Williamstown. After two matches in Western Mass the men will return home to face UVM on the 27th of September. The team will finish the regular season at home vs. UMASS Amherst on the 11th of October. Middlebury could host the first round of the NERFU tournament for homecoming, should the men earn that honor. A detailed schedule is available on the Schedule and Results page.
Spring Raffle Winners:
1. Andrew Des Bois
2. Catherine Lidstone
3. Alan Lim
4. Dan Khan
5. Danny Powers
Winners can make their choice between: 2 sets of Red Sox tickets, Dinner for 2 at Single Pebble in Burlington, 2 greens fees at Burlington Country Club, or a 90 minute massage. Contact: bwinter@middlebury.edu to claim prizes.