Hamilton's men's and women's rugby teams have both won state championships in Division III rugby and will now advance to regional play. The teams travelled to St. Lawrence for the New York State Championships on Oct. 28-29. The men's team finished the regular season with a record of 3-1 (having lost to Niagara University). The women's team finished 6-0, having outscored their opponents 223-7. In the semi-finals, the women's team hosted Canisius College and won 41-5; the team went on to beat St. Bonaventure for the state championship title. The men's team travelled up to Paul Smith's College and defeated Paul Smith's 22-12. These wins gave each team a shot at the state title.
From the NYS Rugby Web site: "Both the men's and women's Division III title matches were two of the most exciting of the day. In the women's final, Hamilton earned a 1-0 (kicks) win over St. Bonaventure after playing almost 110 minutes of rugby. In the men's match, Hamilton came back to top Niagara, 15-12, in a game that featured the fastest pace of play on the afternoon. Both Hamilton teams advance to NRU action as the Division III representatives from NYS."
Both teams will now head to Batavia to compete in the Northeast Regional Tournament on Nov. 11 and 12.
