Two-Time Defending Women's Champion Life University, Drexel, Temple and Five More of the Nation's Top Women's Rugby 7s Teams Announced for 2018 Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship

PHILADELPHIA, February 27, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Defending women’s champion Life University, finalist Lindenwood University and six more of the nation’s top women’s college Rugby 7s squads have been announced for the 16-team women’s national championship field in the 2018 Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, set for Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3 at Talen Energy Stadium in suburban Philadelphia.

Reserved and Field Level tickets to the World’s Largest Collegiate Rugby Festival are available online at https://www.usasevenscrc.com. Before May 1 single day reserved tickets are $65, while field level tickets are $41. Full weekend reserved tickets are $109 and field level tickets are $68 for the full weekend. After May 1, single day reserved tickets are $90 and field level tickets are $63, and full weekend reserved tickets are $132 and field level tickets are $79.

Leading the women’s championship field this summer is defending women’s champion Life University, which captured the crown last June with a 17-12 victory over Lindenwood University. It was the second consecutive year that Life triumphed over Lindenwood in the women’s 7s final (winning 19-10 in 2016’s title tilt). Lindenwood also returns for the 2018 competition, along with Philadelphia-area favorites Drexel and Temple, as well as Bloomsburg, Clemson, Navy and the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) Selects squad, an all-star team chosen from the best of the NSCRO’s sevens teams. Eight more women’s Rugby 7s teams will be added to the field shortly.

The largest annual collegiate Rugby 7s event in the world, the 2018 Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship features the 16-team women’s championship field, as well as the 24-team men’s championship field. The strong men’s field this June will feature men’s Rugby 7s squads from: five-time defending champion The University of California, as well as the University of Arizona, Arkansas State, Army, Boston College, Dartmouth, Iona, Kutztown, Life, Lindenwood, Navy, Notre Dame, Penn State and UCLA, as well as Philadelphia-area favorites including Delaware, Saint Joseph’s and Temple. The remaining nine teams will be determined through a process of selection and qualifiers, with additional field announcements pending.

The 2018 Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship will mark the eighth consecutive year that the event has been held in Philadelphia and at Talen Energy Stadium, bringing national and International attention to the region through the live broadcasts on the networks of ESPN.

The three-day rugby event is one of the largest gatherings of collegiate and high school rugby teams in the world. Penn Mutual is in the fourth year of a title sponsorship for the event. Over 30,000 fans are expected for this year’s championship tournaments.

This will be the third consecutive year that the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship will feature a 24-team field competing for the Pete Dawkins Trophy, named after the All-American football standout at West Point who won the Heisman Trophy in 1958. Dawkins was a Rhodes Scholar and attended Oxford, where he used his outstanding football skills to make him a star on the Oxford Varsity rugby team, revolutionizing the game in the process.

The annual event also includes a Philadelphia College Challenge with a six-team field vying for a spot in next year’s main bracket; the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) national championship; as well as a national high school tournament with both boys’ and girls’ teams. Fields for each of those events will be announced in the coming weeks.

The interest in Rugby Sevens (also known as Rugby 7s) continues to grow following the sport’s return to the Olympic Games in 2016, following a 92-year hiatus. The Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship is part of a nationwide effort to build American rugby talent for competition on the International stage. In the past four years, the event has produced over a dozen players who have gone on to play for the U.S. National teams. 

About United World Sports:  

United World Sports (UWS) is the largest commercial rugby entity in the United States, and the owner and operator of a growing portfolio of dynamic sports, media and apparel brands including, the USA Sevens Rugby international tournament, the largest professional rugby event in North America and the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, the premier college 7s rugby championship. Through its apparel division, UWS owns the exclusive North and South American license for Rhino Rugby, one of the world’s leading rugby apparel and equipment brands. UWS also owns and operates RugbyToday.com, the largest and most widely read media destination dedicated to American rugby. Additional information is available at http://www.unitedworldsports.com.

About Penn Mutual:  

Since 1847, Penn Mutual has been committed to helping people live life with confidence. At the heart of this purpose is the belief that life insurance is central to a sound financial plan. Through our network of trusted advisers, we are dedicated to helping individuals, families and businesses achieve their dreams. Penn Mutual supports its advisers with retirement and investment services through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc. Registered Investment Advisor and wholly owned subsidiary. Member FINRA/SIPC. We are proud to work together in a values-driven and relationship-based culture. Visit Penn Mutual at www.pennmutual.com.

Media Contacts:

Joe Favorito, [email protected], (201) 746-0005

Jim DeLorenzo, [email protected], (215) 266-5943

Source: Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship