Christendom College will travel to Ohio on March 24th to compete in the 2nd Annual Frassati Invitational Rugby Tournament, playing against Ave Maria University and the Franciscan University of Steubenville on Franciscan’s campus. Three matches of hard-hitting rugby will be played between the three teams, all for the chance of winning the Frassati Shield trophy.
The Crusaders will compete in the 2nd annual tournament, this year at Franciscan University of Steubenville.
The Crusaders are hoping to defend the Shield trophy this year, after winning the tournament last year at home. Similar to last year, the tournament will have a round robin format, with the team that wins both of its games winning the tournament.
The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. with Mass in Franciscan’s Christ the King Chapel, before the teams and fans head to the rugby field. The first match will take place between the Franciscan University Barons and the Ave Maria Papists at 11:00 a.m., followed by the Papists taking on the Crusaders at 12:30 p.m. The Crusaders will take on the Barons in the final match of the day at 2:00 p.m.
The Invitational is an expansion of the annual Shield Rugby Match, which was previously played between Christendom and Franciscan. The winner of the Invitational will take home the Shield Trophy, which they will proudly display at their school for a year until the next tournament. Christendom has won the trophy the past three years, including last year’s first Frassati Invitational.
The Crusaders, who are currently ranked #14 in the nation, had a 5-3-1 record in their fall 15s season, including capturing the 2017 CCRC NSCRO Champions Cup.