Our Royal Norsemen had a season to be proud of this fall. Despite beginning the season with a hard-fought loss to Townson (31-46), the men’s rugby team steamrolled over the rest of their opponents ending with only one regular season loss. Some of the teams they beat included Bloomsburg, Bucknell, and Villanova.  

Anyone who plays or watches rugby knows that it is a physically and mentally demanding sport. Accordingly, proper prior preparation can certainly be the difference between winning it all or going home empty handed. The Norsemen’s hard work and dedication have certainly paid off in the past.  

In the 2025 spring semester, they became MARC champions for 7s (spring rugby) and they came back in the fall looking to become champions for 15s (fall rugby) Head Coach Quinn Conaboy explained.  

“I’m in my 12th year with this club so [I] have worked with many great players and teams but this group had the particular depth and edge we missed in the past,” said Conaboy. “In addition to pure athleticism and toughness our biggest driver of success was consistency” and that laid “the groundwork for our history making season” he added.  

The rugby teams final record earned them the third seed in the Mid Atlantic Rugby Conference (MARC) tournament, but our rugby Royals proved this ranking unrepresentative of their true power, grit, and heart.  

The Norsemen’s dominant victory over the second seed, Villanova University (35-12), in the MARC semifinal set them up to face the number one seed, Salisbury, for the final. With this win, they also clinched a spot in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division II Tournament.  

The MARC Championship game against Salisbury University took our Norsemen to Media, Pennsylvania for a one o’clock game. The Salisbury Sharks are four-time rugby national champions. Senior Norseman, Pat George explained “Salisbury had been the number one team in the conference all season and we knew that it was going to be a physical match, but we stayed composed and confident from the start. We trusted our structure and felt like we pretty much controlled the game throughout. Our depth was huge, too. We were able to bring in fresh legs who made [a] real impact in the second half.” Our Norsemen kept it neck-and-neck and ultimately came out victorious. They took home their first ever MARC Championship title beating the Sharks 23-20 and also landed the number one seed out of the MARC teams for the NCR tournament.  

The victory “really felt like a win for more than just the guys on the field,” said George. “The alumni who built the program, the parents who support us and donate, the whole club, everyone had a hand in it.”  

Our rugby Royals continued their season in the NCR tournament where they played in the first round of 16. They faced 18 seed Norwich and came back from being down 29-12 at halftime. The Norsemen pulled out a 36-32 win sending them to the NCR elite eight. Their historic season ended when they fell to Grand Valley State University in Obetz, Ohio in a heartbreaking loss. The final score was 26-34.  

Conaboy commended “Captain Sean Comiskey and club President Anthony Vitiello [who] were great leaders on and off the field this season and set the tone for how the team would compete.” He also noted that freshman Ryan Whimmer played a terrific season and deservingly was awarded the MARC Most Valuable Player award.  

This season was important and certainly solidified the foundation that Conaboy hoped to use. The rugby Royals teach us a valuable lesson: it isn’t the way you start, but rather the way you finish. After a tough loss in the beginning of the season, the Norsemen turned it around and took control. They repeatedly came back to win matches after being down at halftime demonstrating the importance of perseverance.  

“High hopes” was the way Conaboy explained his and his player’s feeling at the start of the season- I think it is safe to say these high hopes were met and surpassed.

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