TN TECH – Tennessee Tech University’s rugby club has earned a bid to the upcoming Collegiate Rugby National Championship tournament, held April 25-27 in Boyds, Md. It marks Tech’s first-ever entry to a national rugby championship tournament since the club’s founding in 1977.

Tech’s hard-fought bid came after the club’s win at the Bluff City 7s Challenge, held March 29 in Memphis’s McBride Ruby Field in Tobey Park.

There, Tech battled through persistent rain and a muddy field, overcoming a 14-point deficit against the University of Mississippi, staging another comeback win over DePaul University and securing a shutout victory over Mississippi State University in the semifinals. That set the stage for a dramatic tournament final, where an overtime win secured redemption for Tech after a 77-10 loss to Memphis last season. The Golden Eagles Rugby team claimed the championship with a hard-fought victory.

Tech sophomore Lane Travis led the scoring throughout the tournament with seven tries, including the game-winner in overtime on an 80-meter run. Todd Harris added five tries, while Troy Glecker contributed a key score in the title match. On defense, PJ Truax, in his first-ever rugby game, stood out with mistake-free tackling. All four were named to the All-Tournament Team for their exceptional performances.

Tennessee Tech’s men’s rugby is a division II club recognized by National Collegiate Rugby and is part of the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference. The club is led by Head Coach Siaosi “Mo” Moleni.

Tech Rugby established a GoFundMe to help defray travel costs for the upcoming championship. Learn more about the club on their Facebook page.