In Queens University’s run to a national DII title in the fall of 2019, the Royals lost only once—they get to face that team again now that they return to the field on Saturday.

Note: A positive COVID test on one of the teams has canceled this game.

Queens lost 33-28 to Southern Virginia on October 5, 2019 before winning six in a row to take the DII title. SVU remained in their small college competition, but now both are in the Chesapeake Conference (when it returns), and are two of the very small number of programs on the East Coast able to play.

Queens University Captain - Benjamin Clipstone on his club's National Championship achievement#FallCollegeChamps #CollegeRugby #USACollegeRugby@QueensAthletics @FloRugby @USACollegeRugby pic.twitter.com/2YPVOxCBDD

— USA Rugby (@USARugby) December 8, 2019

In fact, Queens and SVU were both slated to play other opposition this weekend. That didn’t happen so they made lemonade out of those scheduling lemons and meet up. Both programs have had some player changes. 

Queens has brought in 11 freshmen for this year, and said goodbye to star No.8  Dominic Tianga, who scored three tries in the national DII final before transferring to West Point, Zion Thomas, who also scored in that final, and captain Ben Clipstone. But of the ten players who scored in that final, eight return, including tireless flanker Benji Hund and goalkicking fullback Carson Green.

Southern Virginia, too, has added several freshmen to their roster, and graduated players who were key in that comeback victory over Queens over a year ago.

Still, this is a new and young SVU squad; both are really just starting out still. Both programs have been undergoing regular COVID testing, with players and staff tested three times a week.