The Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) is men’s collegiate rugby competition competing under National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) in Division 1.
The conference is largely consistent in that it features school-supported programs at schools that don't have particularly large enrollments, all in the greater Midwest (Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana.
After Principia was rolling through the competition in the Big Rivers and earning the bye week before the playoffs, you'd have been forgiven for thinking the conference final was a foregone conclusion.
Wheeling University raced past Marian 39-30 to win their Big Rivers Conference semifinal Saturday evening in West Virginia.
Wheeling led almost the entire game, but it wasn't until the late minutes of the game that they had a cushion they could be happy with—Marian kept plugging away and would not be dismissed.
NCR's D1 playoff picture ...
Ten teams will be in the playoff, with four teams participating in play-in games on November 11, and six teams going directly to the quarterfinals on November 18.
2022 NCR D1 Quarterfinals
Thomas More 70-21 Fairfield
St. Bonaventure 29-24 Indiana
Brown 27-7 Wheeling
Queens 33-14 AIC
Big Rivers is down to four semifinalists after Saturday’s quarterfinals, with all of the games being very close.
Principia is now 3-0 in the Big Rivers after beating Aquinas, and once again we have close and competitive games throughout this league.
As a 17-year-old Spencer Huntley required a waiver to play for the USA U20s, an indication of how he was rated in the USA age-grade pathway. He got that waiver and impressed for the USA U20s, and then moved up to the USA U23s. He led the San Diego Mustangs to a national HS Club championship in 2024.
He also played in the SoCal single-school league for Cathedral Catholic.
Mike played for Life College, Philly-Whitemarsh and played for the USA National 7s and 15s teams in the 1980s and 1990s.
He was also part of the Atlantis touring side, playing 7s for the team in several around the world.
