On November 8, Benedictine College’s Black Monks Rugby Club, under the direction of club president Jake Ortiz and the leadership of captains Victor Gallo and Marty Irwin, closed out their 15s regular season by securing the Gateway Conference title. The Monks earned a decisive 26–10 victory over John Brown University—a satisfying comeback after their lone loss of the season came at the hands of JBU earlier this fall.
Benedictine, a Division II program within National Collegiate Rugby (NCR), is currently ranked No. 19 in the nation. Their scoring effort against JBU was driven by Jacob Schauble, Matthew Flynn, and Daniel Bergman—who converted two of three kicks on the day. The Monks also earned a crucial penalty try; the result of a play initiated by captain Marty Irwin.
John Brown University named Benedictine forward Leo Hull (Position: Lock) as their Player of the Game. Hull delivered several game-changing plays, dominated within the forward pod, and pushed through injury to really show the Monks’ physical style of play.
(Insert photo of Hull here)
Now sitting at 4–1, the Black Monks have officially secured their spot in the NCR Championship tournament. After Southern Methodist University forfeited the opening round, Benedictine advances directly to the Sweet Sixteen, where they will face the University of Chicago—ranked No. 6 in the NCR coaches’ poll. Chicago enters the match with a 6–4 record, making this the Monks’ toughest test of the season. The two teams will meet on November 21 at 4 p.m. in Springfield, Missouri.
For a club exclusively player operated and managed this year, the Sweet Sixteen marks a historic moment. Yet the Monks are far from satisfied. Their sights are fixed firmly on Houston, home of the NCR Semifinals and Championship from December 12–14.
All Benedictine students are encouraged to travel and support the Black Monks this Friday at Allison SportsTown, Field 1, in Springfield, Missouri. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.
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