The Heart of America (HOA) is a Division I-AA men's college rugby conference that expanded to 12 teams for the 2025-2026 season. It operates under the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) and is made up of schools from the middle part of the USA—Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.
The conference plays its 15s season in the fall but enters its champion in the CRAA D1AA postseason in the spring.
Saturday at the Westwick Rugby Complex in Lawrence, Kans. the Heart of America welcomed 11 of its 12 teams to play in an all-encompassing day of rugby.
Iowa and Iowa State, who played to a tight 24-22 result earlier in the season, will meet again, this time for the Heart of America title.
Defending champs Iowa State lost that 24-22 game to the Hawkeyes, but Saturday they defeated Oklahoma 59-12 to advance to the final.
We're entering the playoff period for most fall-playing D1AA conferences and some crucial playoff-deciding regular season games, and fans have a much better idea of who could challenge for a major championship.
Big developments in the Heart of America as newcomers UHSP did Oklahoma a huge favor with a 28-17 defeat of previously 2-1 Kansas State.
Kansas defeated rivals Kansas State 47-26 over the weekend to put the Jayhawks in the driver's seat in the Heart of America South.
De La Salle HS
Saint Mary's (Rudy Scholz Finalist)
USA U20s (Captain)
USA Men's National 15s Team (Debut vs Georgia 2023 at age 20)
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.
Hope Rogers began playing rugby at age 16 in high school and continued to compete during her time at Penn State University. There, she won four National Championships, was crowned MVP on two occasions, was named to the USA Under-20s and earned Collegiate All-American honors for four years. Rogers was also an impressive discus player during her senior year in high school where she broke a school record and won Gold at Districts for the sport.
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.
