BOYDS, MD– On day one of the 2026 Collegiate Rugby Championship Men’s Division II competition, 16 teams entered the field and by the end of day one only four remain. UNC-Wilmington, Northwestern, Colorado Mesa and Coastal Carolina each earned a pair of victories to advance to the Cup Semifinals and a chance at a Championship. 

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In the East region, top-seeded UNC-Wilmington opened its day with a 33-17 win against Norwich before earning a 19-7 triumph over Georgetown who beat Albany 17-7 in the first round. Northwestern, the surprise of day one, opened with a 19-5 upset of Memphis before winning 21-10 against No. 2 seed Grand Valley State. The Lakers opened their day with a 31-7 win over Montana State.

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Out in the West, Colorado Mesa was the other big surprise of day one. The fourth seeded Mavericks defeated Vermont 17-12 in their opener before upsetting top seed Miami (OH) 24-19. The RedHawks started the day with a 21-14 victory over Drexel.

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In the bottom half of the West bracket, Coastal Carolina advanced to the semifinals, defeating Towson 26-14 and Northern Iowa 26-19. The Panthers started their day with a 36-5 over IUP. 

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After the first day of the tournament, Luca Race is the leading scorer. The senior from Vermont has scored a half-dozen tries and added three conversions for 36 points.

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All matches streamed live for $19.99 weekend all-access pass on NCR TV.