'25 Pre-Season

Pacesetters (Top 5)

Same old same old?

It seems obvious to put Aspetuck Valley and Charlotte Cardinals in the pacesetting group for Spring of 2025...and so we will. However, both graduated not only high impact talent but culture bearers on their respective teams. So cool for the ad-minions to see these same athletes go on to make an impact at the collegiate level, however, a loss like that can have a BIG impact on any team, so the coaches at these top 2 clubs will have their work cut out for them. Now, if we were the betting type (mostly not) we would say those staffs are up for the challenge and so we still have them likely to be competing in the EC top 5.

The battle for PA

Maybe slightly less obvious for those not paying close attention would be the "Big 2" in PA who battled all year long for a 7's title and looked very strong along the way. Doylestown has an incredibly talented crop of Juniors who are starting to gel and they have also been the beneficiary of a few key transfers into their program. Their squad is both athletic AND experienced giving them a balance that puts them back in the conversation of top teams. Downingtown on the other hand will be looking to peak this year. They have about 100 seniors (OK, that's an exaggeration) but more importantly, the dozen they do have (that's not an exaggeration) can each contribute and have been working together for a while now. They had the confidence and poise to win the 7s title in PA, which is no small task and are undoubtedly looking forward to carrying that momentum into the Spring.

Maryland's Top Squad

Rounding out the pool of the pre-season top 5 on our scorecard is West Carroll. Like Aspetuck and Charlotte, they lost a major talent & energy source to the college ranks in the Fall, however, they have a core group of seniors who are both strong and experienced as well as handful of up & comers who have been working hard to be ready when their chance to step-up arrived. Based on how they looked during 7s and the commitment level they have as a club (coaches, community, etc), this keeps them in the top 5 and edges another perennial power into the chase pack at the start of the season....

The Chase Pack (Next 4)

Jersey Looks to Build A Bridge

The chase pack is made up of those teams who are strong enough to make the jump but will need to do some extra work to get there. In the Tour de France and other cycling races, analysts often talk about "bridging the gap" (between the two groups) and the hefty workload required to do it. First in the chase pack and possibly a surprise for some is 3 time EGRL finalist and 1 time champion, Morris who, for the first time in a long time will not have Bill Dobbs plotting the course. Make no mistake - even after losing some really strong seniors to college they continue to have the makings of a great team (and one of the deepest and most committed coaching staffs on the EC) - but the question of whether long time assistant & backs coach Mike Eisenhart can get the same kind of performance from the squad as the interim Head Coach, remains.

Also in this group to start the season are the "TurtleHawks" (the combined squad of Clayton & Raleigh RedHawks of North Carolina) who were very strong in 2024, North Bay's recently reinforced squad who will integrate a solid pool of talent from West End's successful Fall 7s squad and the Hough Huskies (also NC) who our sources tell us have some strong players and will push anyone. 

The Peloton

A Dangerous Group - More Recon Required

The last cluster is the big one - that swarm of teams who at any moment could surge forward, engulf the chase pack and keep on churning toward the early favorites. In this pack you'll find jerseys like PA's Knightmares, SC's Wando Wahinies, the Cobras from Raleigh, NC, Belmont from MA, Corning NY, Play Rugby USA (NYC), Moon Area, PA, Greenwich CT and Orchard Park of NY. These are all strong programs who have produced solid teams each year and should NEVER be taken lightly by the competition...a few almost definitely belong in the chase-pack or higher, we simply don't know enough about their lineups this year (yet!) to make an educated guess. HOWEVER, one thing you can count on is - we are always watching!

We will know more by 9-MAR

With NC Ruggerfest and EGRL's Rugby Showcase South in the early weeks of March, we should have a solid first glimpse then.

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Who'd We Miss?

Send us your picks or tell us about teams on the EC we might have missed.