Less than a year after winning a national championship, the St. Bonaventure men’s rugby team isn’t lowering its goals for the upcoming season despite record numbers of new recruits.

Bonnies head coach Tui Osborne welcomes 26 freshmen and two transfers, about 10 more than the typical class of incoming players.

“We will miss our (10) graduating players, but we have a good group returning and a very talented group of new players,” Osborne said. “French scrum half Mathéo Lorenzato will be one to watch!”

Lorenzato is one of six new international players on the Bonnies, who now boast players from South Africa, France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and New Zealand.

The Bonnies defeated Penn State, 19-18, on Dec. 11 to win the National Collegiate Rugby Division I championship in Houston.

“Our expectations remain high with a goal to finish with a better conference record this season than last in Rugby East,” said Osborne, whose club went 3-2 last fall in the six-team league but finished 10-2 overall.

Rugby East has expanded this season to an 11-team, two-division format.

The Bonnies will be in the North with Penn State, Kutztown, Army, Navy and Notre Dame College. The South is made up of Mary Washington (Va.), Queens (N.C.) University, Southern Virginia, Virginia Tech and Mount St. Mary’s (Md.).

The Bonnies kick off their season at home Sept. 10 vs. Notre Dame College (1 p.m.). The complete schedule can be found here.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.