If there's a blueprint for starting a new college conference, you could do a lot worse than the Chesapeake Collegiate Rugby Conference.
The conference was formed out of a group of teams in Maryland and Virginia that were frustrated for not getting the full schedules they wanted. They identified a group of like-minded teams -- some from DI, some from DII, and one from NSCRO -- and launched the new league last fall.
It worked brilliantly. Chesapeake members such as Salisbury and Towson stopped having to deal with opponents forfeiting against them, and conference mates Mary Washington and Mount St. Mary's got the type of tough competition they wanted.
In the end, all nine teams got eight competitive league games in, which is all they wanted. No team failed to win a game, and no team went undefeated. Of the 36 games played, 11 were within a try, and 17 were within two tries. Maryland, which finished 2-6, lost four games by a try or less.
But James Madison head coach Mark Lambourne says the real success of the conference was in its Futures Cup development league.
"We got a league game for younger players and developing players, and that was really beneficial for everyone," said Lambourne, who guided the Dukes to the Chesapeake Conference title last year. "You see teams like Towson and Salisbury show they have talent coming up."
JMU is among the favorites in part because of that Futures Cup, as the Dukes' youngsters won last year's competition with a 7-0-1 record. But Lambourne isn't so sure.
"This conference is going to be even closer this year," he said. "If you go through the conference, I think Salisbury showed they've got good underclassmen coming through, and they'll always be well coached. Mary Wash is looking good, and the key to them will be how well a group of individuals jell. But they will be an improved team, and others are all getting better."
Meanwhile, Lambourne said he doesn't expect any drastic changes to his squad this season.
"We'll never have the mega-stars, but we'll play good quality rugby and we didn't lose too many," Lambourne said. "But our strength is that our varsity and our JV squad doesn't have a lot of difference."
Mount St. Mary's looks to be stronger, too, while FloRugby fans voted Mary Washington the team most likely to break out. But breaking out will be tough in this conference, because it is so tight. Don't forget about Towson, which was a competitive 5-3; Maryland, which lost so many close games; and Virginia Tech, which went 6-2 last year. Any of the conference's nine members could win the title.
Sept. 2
Virginia at Mount St. Mary's
Sept. 9
Virginia Tech at Georgetown
Mount St. Mary's at Salisbury
Mary Washington at Towson
James Madison at Virginia
Sept. 16
Georgetown at Mary Washington
James Madison at Virginia Tech
Salisbury at Maryland
Virginia at Towson
Sept. 23
Georgetown at Salisbury
Mary Washington at Virginia
Maryland at Towson
Virginia Tech at Mount St. Mary's
Sept. 30
Georgetown at Mount St. Mary's
Towson at James Madison
Maryland at Mary Washington
Salisbury at Virginia
Oct. 7
James Madison at Maryland
Mary Washington at Salisbury
Towson at Mount St. Mary's
Virginia at Virginia Tech
Oct. 14
Towson at Georgetown
James Madison at Salisbury
Maryland at Virginia Tech
Oct. 21
Maryland at Georgetown
Mount St. Mary's at James Madison
Virginia Tech at Mary Washington
Salisbury at Towson
Oct. 28
Georgetown at Virginia
Mary Washington at James Madison
Mount St. Mary's at Maryland
Virginia Tech at Salisbury
Nov. 4
James Madison at Georgetown
Mount St. Mary's at Mary Washington
Virginia at Maryland
Towson at Virginia Tech
Nov. 11
Conference Final: 1st-Place Team vs. 2nd-Place Team
The conference was formed out of a group of teams in Maryland and Virginia that were frustrated for not getting the full schedules they wanted. They identified a group of like-minded teams -- some from DI, some from DII, and one from NSCRO -- and launched the new league last fall.
It worked brilliantly. Chesapeake members such as Salisbury and Towson stopped having to deal with opponents forfeiting against them, and conference mates Mary Washington and Mount St. Mary's got the type of tough competition they wanted.
In the end, all nine teams got eight competitive league games in, which is all they wanted. No team failed to win a game, and no team went undefeated. Of the 36 games played, 11 were within a try, and 17 were within two tries. Maryland, which finished 2-6, lost four games by a try or less.
But James Madison head coach Mark Lambourne says the real success of the conference was in its Futures Cup development league.
"We got a league game for younger players and developing players, and that was really beneficial for everyone," said Lambourne, who guided the Dukes to the Chesapeake Conference title last year. "You see teams like Towson and Salisbury show they have talent coming up."
JMU is among the favorites in part because of that Futures Cup, as the Dukes' youngsters won last year's competition with a 7-0-1 record. But Lambourne isn't so sure.
"This conference is going to be even closer this year," he said. "If you go through the conference, I think Salisbury showed they've got good underclassmen coming through, and they'll always be well coached. Mary Wash is looking good, and the key to them will be how well a group of individuals jell. But they will be an improved team, and others are all getting better."
Meanwhile, Lambourne said he doesn't expect any drastic changes to his squad this season.
"We'll never have the mega-stars, but we'll play good quality rugby and we didn't lose too many," Lambourne said. "But our strength is that our varsity and our JV squad doesn't have a lot of difference."
Mount St. Mary's looks to be stronger, too, while FloRugby fans voted Mary Washington the team most likely to break out. But breaking out will be tough in this conference, because it is so tight. Don't forget about Towson, which was a competitive 5-3; Maryland, which lost so many close games; and Virginia Tech, which went 6-2 last year. Any of the conference's nine members could win the title.
Fall 2017 Chesapeake Schedule
Sept. 2
Virginia at Mount St. Mary's
Sept. 9
Virginia Tech at Georgetown
Mount St. Mary's at Salisbury
Mary Washington at Towson
James Madison at Virginia
Sept. 16
Georgetown at Mary Washington
James Madison at Virginia Tech
Salisbury at Maryland
Virginia at Towson
Sept. 23
Georgetown at Salisbury
Mary Washington at Virginia
Maryland at Towson
Virginia Tech at Mount St. Mary's
Sept. 30
Georgetown at Mount St. Mary's
Towson at James Madison
Maryland at Mary Washington
Salisbury at Virginia
Oct. 7
James Madison at Maryland
Mary Washington at Salisbury
Towson at Mount St. Mary's
Virginia at Virginia Tech
Oct. 14
Towson at Georgetown
James Madison at Salisbury
Maryland at Virginia Tech
Oct. 21
Maryland at Georgetown
Mount St. Mary's at James Madison
Virginia Tech at Mary Washington
Salisbury at Towson
Oct. 28
Georgetown at Virginia
Mary Washington at James Madison
Mount St. Mary's at Maryland
Virginia Tech at Salisbury
Nov. 4
James Madison at Georgetown
Mount St. Mary's at Mary Washington
Virginia at Maryland
Towson at Virginia Tech
Nov. 11
Conference Final: 1st-Place Team vs. 2nd-Place Team