Vermont, UNC-Wilmington Headline DII Final Four

The Men’s Division II National Championship Final Four is officially locked in, promising exhilarating December showdowns in Houston for US rugby fans. Top-ranked Vermont secured their semifinal berth convincingly, dispatching Cornell 43-16 with key scores from Roman Legere and flyhalf Matthew Tevnan, who also contributed crucial kicks. Meanwhile, #2 UNC-Wilmington faced a tougher test against #11 Memphis, ultimately prevailing 50-43 in a nail-biter; Xavier Arrington proved the hero with his third try of the game in the 78th minute, complemented by Daniel Marsh’s critical conversions after Memphis had tied the score at 43-43. This sets up an anticipated semi-final clash between the two dominant programs, guaranteeing fireworks. On the other side of the bracket, two surprise contenders emerged from hard-fought regional rounds. The #6 University of Chicago Maroons battled through four yellow cards to secure a 43-25 win over #4 Colorado Mesa, with sophomore Nico Roth notching a brace. Even more remarkably, #15 Grand Valley State continued their Cinderella story status by upsetting #5 Scranton 34-26. These two teams will now face off in the other semifinal, with the winner aiming to play spoiler against either Vermont or UNC-Wilmington in the championship, offering a thrilling display of collegiate talent and fierce competition.