AIC has qualified for USA Rugby’s College 7s Championships as the Yellow Jackets won the Armory 7s Sunday in Springfield, Mass.

AIC blew through the competition, giving up only 26 points in six games, and beating Boston College 41-7 in the final.

Gavan D’Amore-Morrison scored three tries in the final, while Christian Adams, Deshae Edwards, and Tarik James were on the scoreboard frequently through the day. AIC were impressive, scoring 75 against Fairport (which takes some doing in a 7s game), and beating Dartmouth 31-14. AIC also beat Middlebury and Albany in pool play to win their pool and make the semis. Meanwhile, Boston College, perhaps not favored but with something to prove as they were just invited to the CRC in Chester, Pa., played quite well, beating Fairfield II, Northeastern, and UMass in pool play. They lost 21-17 to Colgate in pool play, but had already clinched the pool at that point. Then came BC’s most impressive result in the semis, as they beat Dartmouth 33-28 to make the final. AIC beat Northeastern in the semis 32-5.

This caps off a big qualifier weekend, with Air Force and Bowling Green also qualifying.

Here’s a list of teams that have qualified so far, and the qualifier tournaments slates for the upcoming weeks. We also tell you who we think will play at USA Rugby’s nationals, and what wild card teams might have a shot.

 

Winners expected to be in Denver May 23-24 unless otherwise stated

 

Sept 20, 2014 California State 7s

Winner San Diego State 

Runner-Up Sacramento State

 

Oct 11, 2014 West Coast 7s

Winner UCLA (committed to CRC only)

Runner-Up Cal (committed to CRC only)

 

Oct 18-19, NCRC 7s

Winner Central Washington

Runner-Up Western Washington

 

Oct 25-26, 2014, Battle in the Bay

Winner Cal (committed to CRC only)

Runner-Up Arizona State (top of Wild Card list)

 

November 8, 2014 Ivy League 7s

Winner Dartmouth (unlikely to play in Denver)

Runner-Up Yale

 

November 15, 2014 PAC Sevens

Winner Cal (committed to CRC only)

Runner-Up Arizona State (top of Wild Card List)

 

November 15, 2014 Pac Western 7s

Winner Nevada

Runner-Up Sacramento State (Wild Card)

 

Feb 7-8, 2015 SIRC 7s

Winner Central Florida

Runner-Up Georgia Tech

 

March 7, 2015 Big XII

Winner West Virginia

Runner-Up Kansas State

 

April 11, 2015 NDC Falcons 7s

Winner Bowling Green

Runner-Up St. Bonaventure

 

April 11, 2015 Rocky Mountain 7s

Winner Air Force

Runner-Up  Colorado State

 

April 12, 2015 Armory 7s

Winner AIC

Runner-Up Boston College

 

April 18, 2015 

Big Ten Universities 

Empire 7s

Heart of America 7s

Keystone 7s

Mid-America 7s

SCRC 7s

SWC 7s

ACRL 7s

 

April 25, 2015

Red River 7s

 

 

There are 24 places in the Men’s DI 7s championships, and out of the 21 tournaments, it’s possible that as many as eight qualifier winners will decline to play - Cal (count them twice) and UCLA are for certain playing only in the CRC. Dartmouth is probably only in the CRC. Air Force has not confirmed they will play in Denver as well as the CRC, but they will probably do so.

The winners of the ACRL, SCRC, and Big Ten all qualify for the CRC, and it’s very possible those winners will decline the USA bid as a result (some teams have already said as much). In addition, the favorite for the Keystone 7s, St. Joseph’s, will likely only play in the CRC.

 

What that means is that we will probably have only 15 automatic qualifiers for 24 spots. Here, then, are some possible wild card teams:

Arizona State

Sacramento State

Western Washington

Yale

Kansas State (if they don’t win HOA)

Tennessee

St. Bonaventure

Texas A&M or Oklahoma 

Notre Dame (CRC team)