This weekend saw the top 8 Division 3 teams in the Midwest square off for their conference titles.
Western Conference Playoffs — Waverly, IA
In the Western semi-finals, a forfeit by the Milwaukee Rugby Football Club (Milwaukee, WI; #3 seed) resulted in a bye for the Bremer County Bucks (Waverly, IA; #1 seed) and an automatic spot in the conference final.
The other Western Conference match-up was a lop-sided affair with the Fox Valley Maoris (St. Charles, IL; #2 seed) defeating the Milwaukee Barbarians Athletic Club (Milwaukee, WI; #4 seed) 66-7.
In the final, Fox Valley met a rested Bucks side. With home advantage on their side, the Bucks wore down the Maoris, taking the Western Conference title with a final score of 25-12.
Eastern Conference Playoffs — Grand Rapids, MI
In the East, Grand Rapids Rugby (Grand Rapids, MI; #1 seed) shut out the Cleveland Rovers (Cleveland, OH; #4 seed) with a score of 35-0.
Meanwhile, the Columbus Castaways (Columbus, OH; #2 seed) were victorious over Fort Wayne RFC (Fort Wayne, IN; #3 seed) in a competitive match: final score 44-30.
In the Eastern final, Grand Rapids put on a clinical display and were ahead 35-0 at halftime over the Castaways. At the final whistle, Grand Rapids earned a spot in the Midwest final with a 55-5 victory.
Midwest Championship — Chicago, IL
Bremer County Bucks will meet Grand Rapids in Chicago on Saturday, May 7th to decide which team will represent the Midwest in the Men's Division 3 National Club Championship.
The winner and Midwest Champion will travel to Pittsburgh in 2 weeks and play Saturday and Sunday for a spot in the National Finals.
