End Of The Road
After a long, strenuous, and entertaining season that started way back inside Oosterban in January, the 2025 7s campaign has come to an end for the Michigan Wolverines. While the end of the season might not have gone as planned, it’s important to look at the whole journey and how far this team has come and where they’re headed in the future.
CRCs
The roster that took the field in the final game of the CRCs against Babson was a stark contrast to the one that stepped on the field back in February at the Pitt Dome tournament. The injury bug plagued the Wolverines for much of the season as they were unable to ever field a fully healthy team. All of the seniors who started the year were unable to play in the CRCs, which contributed to 4 out of the 7 original starters being out. Despite these struggles and inspired by the tremendous leadership from the seniors, Michigan fought valiantly in all of their games and never lost by more than 1 score. Each opponent stepped off the pitch, knowing and feeling like they had just been through 14 minutes of hell. Coach Mentzer and Captain Luke Zana made sure the squad was ready for any team they faced. On a brighter note, the entire 12-man roster that was fielded for each match will be back next season, out for blood. The roster was comprised of 3 juniors, 2 sophomores, and 7 freshmen. The CRCs provided valuable big-game experience that couldn’t be replicated anywhere else and will certainly serve as a lesson to build upon for years to come.
Summer Plans
This summer, Michigan will be sending Regan Plank, Noah Alvarez, Kiyan Jacobs, and Sam Glusker to New Zealand to play for Poneke FC in Wellington. The Michigan-Poneke pipeline will only continue growing as the relationship between the 2 clubs strengthens. These players will get valuable game experience and training that can’t be replicated anywhere else. A new pipeline is also being established this summer, thanks to rising senior Mike Crismale. Mike will be spending his summer in Brisbane, Australia, playing for Brothers Rugby Club. You’ll be able to hear all about their adventures in the southern hemisphere this summer through weekly journals published on our website. A number of other players will also continue to sharpen their skills back here in the U.S., training with their respective local clubs.
The Future
Looking forward to the Fall 15s season, there is a lot to be excited about. The Wolverines will be able to field a starting 15 with 9 of the players having a season of international rugby in New Zealand or Australia under their belt, not to mention the addition of students transferring into the school as well. It’s safe to say that next year’s squad will have a lot of international experience. Combine this with all of the offseason workouts and conditioning that everyone will be doing, along with a strong incoming freshman class, the Wolverines will be a force to be reckoned with come the fall. Stay tuned for more articles to come this summer with news and updates, and as always, Go Blue!
