Aspen Gents rugby falls short to Kansas City in national quarterfinals
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The Gentlemen of Aspen Rugby Club’s quest for a 10th national championship came up short this past weekend with a loss in the men’s Division II quarterfinals, played in Springfield, Missouri.
After beating the Indianapolis Impalas in the Northern Super Regional opener on Saturday, 39-28, the Gents lost to Kansas City RFC in Sunday’s national quarterfinal, 44-39.
Aspen qualified for regional play after winning the Rocky Mountain Rugby Premiership back in November, their first season playing at the national DII level since winning their championships back in the 1990s and 2000s.
“Incredibly proud of this group of players for what’s been achieved over the last year after rejoining the D2 league for the first time in many years. Looking forward to our summer season and getting back to work,” the club wrote on its Instagram page.
“We can’t say enough thanks to every supporter, sponsor, and friend of the club for the encouragement we’ve received. This is only the start of another great era for the club.”
The USA Club Rugby national championships are scheduled for May 16-18 in Indianapolis.
For the Gents, they’ll turn their attention toward their regular summer schedule, beginning in mid-June, which leads up to the annual Ruggerfest rugby tournament from Sept. 18-21. Aspen plans to return to RMR premiership play in the fall with the hope of again qualifying for regional competition in 2026.
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