Less than three months after winning the National Collegiate Rugby Division I 15s championship, St. Bonaventure University is back to steamrolling every team in its path in its quest to win the 7s national title this spring.

The Bonnies qualified for the national tourney April 24-26 in Boyds, Maryland, with a dominating performance at the Frostbite 7s national qualifier last weekend in Landisville, Pennsylvania.

St. Bonaventure easily won its pool on Feb. 28, outscoring Mary Washington, West Chester and Syracuse by a cumulative score of 127-12. On Sunday, March 1, the Bonnies beat South Carolina, 35-0; Rio Grande, 17-7; and Fordham, 36-7, in the title game.

The 32-team national tournament bracket will be revealed upon completion of all the qualifying tournaments later this month. The Bonnies lost to Wheeling in the 7s national title game last April.

“My concern this semester was that we may still be hung over from our fantastic fall season,” said Coach Danny Neighbour. “But the lads came back hungry for more and that showed on the practice field and at this tournament. It’s only fueled our belief that we can win championships in both 15s and 7s. We firmly believe we have what it takes to win it all.”

Dan Lowther, Noah Edwards and Troy Heroldt each scored five tries over the two-day tourney, while Christian Balassy added four. Edwards, Heroldt, Balassy and Scott Wilson combined to kick 21 of the Bonnies’ 23 conversions.

Lowther missed the 2025 7s season to work on his strength and speed — and it paid off. He was named the Frostbite 7s Man of the Tournament.

“It took Saturday for Dan to find his legs and Sunday to use them,” Neighbour said. “We just had great performances by our forwards all around. Now it’s just a matter of staying humble, hungry and focused on continuing to raise the bar, on and off the pitch.”

The Bonnies were double trouble for the tournament field. SBU’s JV squad also went unbeaten, defeating Drexel, 34-0, in the Open Division title game.

“The Dawgs showed yet again why we are so good. Our depth is fantastic,” Neighbour said. “They dominated the Open Division and really showed some real development throughout the tournament.”

Freshman Frey Lant from England earned Man of the Tournament for “his great work on defense and the attack,” Neighbour said. 

Kane Murray led the Bonnies with seven tries. Lant, Connor Gerasimo, Joe Deinhart and Mason Beardsworth each had three. Keamogetswe Noko, Jayden Matos, Deinhart and Gerasimo combined to kick 16 of the Bonnies’ 17 conversions.

In December, St. Bonaventure dominated Queens University, 55-19, in Houston to capture its second NCR Division I 15s title in the last five years.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).