I was working in the lab, late one night when my eyes beheld an eerie sight. A pair of Division II contenders began to rise and suddenly to my surprise they had a monster clash (The monster clash) it was a Vermont smash (They had a clash) it caught on in a flash (They had a clash!) It was a monster clash! (Aoooo).
Alright, and now that you’ve indulged my one allowed reference to Halloween and Spooky Season in general (which I wasted on Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers) I can tell you a little bit more about that frightfully good matchup we have on tap for you this week.
Top Ten foes Vermont (#4) and Norwich (#10) will face off in a battle not just for bragging rights in the Green Mountain State but also for home field advantage in their conference playoffs. Both teams are undefeated so far this season, putting them at the top of the table in the North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby Conference. Each side has established their dominance through superb defense, surrendering fewer than 20 points total so far this season. The Catamounts have also poured it on on the other end, scoring 435 total points for an absurd point differential of 420 on the year. The Norwich Cadets have scored a little under 200 points in their contests.
The Cadets have been perennial contenders under legendary coach Bob Weggler, who is entering his 25th year at the head of the program. The Mustachioed Maestro has led Norwich to multiple league titles in 15s and 7s as well as 15 national tournament appearances across both codes, including four straight appearances in the Fall Sweet 16 and Elite 8, along with two Final Fours (2021, 2024) since Norwich joined NCR in 2021. Oh, and Weggler invented the Scrumijer, the first scrum sled made in the United States.
Norwich’s NCR campaign has been bolstered by the addition of former All-American, and Norwich alum, Austin Manhey to the coaching staff. While a student at Norwich, Manhey reached the National Championship tournament three times for each 15s and 7s, and did not lose a conference game from 2017-19.
On the pitch this season, the Cadets have been led by senior All-American Jeff Pappalardo, whose endless motor leads to contributions on both sides of the ball. Hooker Jake Peterson has also punched in his fair share of scores for Norwich this season in blowout wins over Coast Guard Academy (63-0) and the University of Maine (33-5). Freshman Aeden Kerr has also been money off the tee this season and will be relied upon to provide a spark against the formidable Catamount defense.
Vermont has seemed inevitable this season, reeling off gaudy wins against Coast Guard (98-0), UMaine (73-5), UNH (69-5), and Boston University (78-0). They’ve been led by Senior Jack Worobel, a 6’2”, 235 lb lock hailing from Exeter, New Hampshire. An All-American last season, Worobel was drafted in the third round of this summer’s MLR draft by the New England Free Jacks despite picking up a rugby ball for the first time as a freshman at UVM. Worobel and the rest of the forwards have been the driving force behind the Catamount’s dominant 2025 Fall, with Roman Legere and Quinn Gallant also making key contributions throughout the season.
The perfect word to encapsulate this matchup is definitely grit, with both sides putting forth a body of work that would make Rooster Cogburn proud. And while UVM seems to have the upper hand in this matchup, the Cadets are always a tough out because they’re fit, feisty, and well coached. Just ask IUP what it was like to play against Norwich in the DII semifinals last fall, a game that went to double overtime in the pouring rain.
While I won’t give you my pick to win (you’ll have to follow The College Rugby Show on instagram for that information) I will leave you with another Halloween-related tidbit even though I said I was only allowed one. Friday night’s game will be played at Norwich’s Sabine Field in Northfield, VT. But the Cadets also use a secondary pitch for matches that’s called the Graveyard pitch. And the Catamounts play their home games on a field they call The Boneyard.
Tune in at 7pm EST to the National Collegiate Rugby YouTube for this clash.
For more college rugby reporting, check out TheCollegeRugbyShow.com.
