KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's rugby program traveled to Knoxville this past weekend to take on both the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky in their first action of the season.
The Royals' first 15 opened the day against Kentucky, the two-time defending D1-AA National Champions. Kentucky struck first, converting a penalty in the opening 10 minutes to take a 3-0 lead. Queens quickly responded, as
Landon Starnes crossed the try line, followed by a powerful maul try from captain
Roan Shawver, with a successful conversion bringing the halftime score to 12-3 in favor of Queens.
Kentucky opened the second half with a converted try to close the gap to 12-10, applying pressure early, but the Royals' forwards answered again as Shawver scored his second try from another maul. From there, Queens took control of the match, unleashing a flurry of scoring led by freshman Chase Desate, along with tries from
Keanin Kamp, CJ Thompson, and
Jack Rice to seal a statement victory.
Head Coach
Tyree Reed praised his team's resilience but emphasized growth ahead, stating, "I'm pleased with the outcome, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. This was a good test for us, and we look forward to another big challenge next weekend at Navy."
In the second fixture of the day, the Royals' second 15 squared off against the University of Tennessee's first 15, falling 63-0 in a hard-fought contest that provided valuable experience for the developing squad.
KEY STATS
The Royals now turn their focus to a pivotal matchup at Navy next weekend, another major test early in the season.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals men's rugby team on
Facebook and
Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding the team. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics to stay updated on all the Royals sports teams in action by searching @QueensAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
