WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Queens University of Charlotte men's rugby team captured the Atlantic Rugby Conference Championship with a thrilling 26-22 victory over No. 1 St. Bonaventure University, who was previously undefeated in conference play. It was the second meeting between the two sides this season, but this time, it was all Royals from the start.

Queens struck first when Tertius Diechterechen finished off a strong attacking sequence. The forwards set the tone early, driving the maul downfield before the backs went through several phases, with Kyle van Niekerk cutting a hard line to set up the try.
The Royals continued their momentum shortly after. Following a penalty, Hilton Olivier kicked to the corner, and CJ Thompson powered over from the maul to extend the lead to 14–0.

Queens' defensive pressure soon paid off when they forced a turnover and counterattacked deep into Bonaventure territory. After multiple phases, Emile van Dyk crossed the line, making it 19–3. With time expiring in the first half, the forwards once again set the platform, and Thompson scored his second try of the match. Hilton added the conversion to give Queens a commanding 26–3 halftime lead.

The second half told a different story as St. Bonaventure stormed back, scoring multiple tries to close the gap to just four points with minutes remaining. With the match on the line, the Royals' defense held firm inside their 22. As the Bonnies pressed for a final score, Keanin Kamp made a crucial tackle, and Queens' defense swarmed to hold up the ball at the try line, sealing the championship victory.

Head Coach Tyree Reed praised his team's focus and composure, saying, "I'm proud of the boys and the way we played. We played with intent and stayed focused for the majority of the match. This is a solid win for us, but we know there's still a lot of important rugby ahead. The coaches are ready, and the players are ready to meet the moment as one unit."

With the win, Queens earns a first-round bye and advances to the NCR National Playoff Quarterfinal in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 22.