BURLINGTON, Vt. - Just over a week after their nationally broadcast regular season showdown, the Norwich University men's rugby team will hit the road for a high-stakes rematch against the University of Vermont in the 2025 North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby (NACR) Conference Championship match.
The title bout is set for Sunday, Nov. 9, with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 p.m. at the UVM Rugby Pitch in Burlington, Vt. The winner will be crowned NACR Champion and secure its preferred path to the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division II Sweet 16.
The NACR receives two automatic bids to the Sweet 16. If Norwich captures the title, the Cadets will head to the Fairfield, Conn. regional for tournament play on Nov. 21 and 23. A loss would slot Norwich into the Columbus, Ohio bracket on the same dates.
The match marks a highly anticipated rematch between two of the top programs in the East and one of the fiercest rivalries in collegiate rugby. Last week, the Catamounts used a string of first-half tries and a late insurance score to hand Norwich a 42-12 defeat on National Collegiate Rugby's Friday Night Rugby broadcast from Sabine Field.
The Cadets battled through wet Halloween conditions and delivered second-half tries from senior captain
Doran Schwartz (Akron, Pa.) and
Jake Peterson (Trumbull, Conn.), but could not close the gap after falling behind early.
Despite the loss, the night served as a celebration of Norwich rugby's 55th anniversary, as the program honored 11 graduating seniors and hosted a spirited crowd that braved the downpour for a national showcase event. A 50/50 raffle hosted by the B Side benefited The Veteran's Place of Northfield, and alumnus Bill Walsh '77 performed the national anthem.
Now, with the regular season behind them, the Cadets turn their attention to a postseason run that echoes the path they carved last fall. In 2024, Norwich dropped its regular season match at Vermont before avenging the loss with a thrilling 41-38 victory in the NACR Championship to punch its ticket to the national tournament.
The Cadets went on to earn a third-place national finish, defeating Villanova and Georgetown before a double-overtime loss to eventual champion Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the semifinals. Norwich bounced back with a dominant 72-17 win over Towson in the third-place game.
The 2025 campaign has mirrored many of those rhythms. Norwich has notched impressive wins over the University of New Hampshire, the United States Coast Guard Academy, and the University of Maine en route to the No. 2 seed in the NACR bracket. Led by standout performances across the board, including from Peterson, Schwartz,
Jeff Pappalardo (Boxford, Mass.), and
Aedan Kerr (Hillside, N.J.), the Cadets boast one of the most balanced and experienced lineups in the league.
Now, the stakes are simple. A win gives Norwich a NACR title and a spot in the Fairfield Sweet 16 bracket, a location that offers closer travel, regional familiarity, and a clearer path to a national championship bid. A loss still keeps the national dream alive, but sends the Cadets west to the Columbus bracket to open postseason play.
Fans and alumni are encouraged to attend Sunday's match in Burlington and support the Cadets as they look to return to the national stage and capture their seventh NACR Championship in the last 10 years.
