Army West Point Athletics
Saturday, February 28
Miami Gardens, Fla.
6:00 p.m.
Army West Point
at
St. Thomas (Fla.)
Men’s Rugby Heads to South Florida for Spring Opener at St. Thomas
February 27, 2026 | Men's Rugby
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Army West Point men's rugby returns to action on Saturday for its 2026 spring season opener at St. Thomas (FL).
Kickoff against the Bobcats at AutoNation Field is set for 6:00 p.m., with a stream provided by St. Thomas.
We're really looking forward to competing again against a very dangerous and aggressive St. Thomas team. We've been pleased with the mentality and effort the team has attacked this winter offseason with and look forward to testing ourselves against a quality opponent. We will learn a lot about where we are," said head coach Matt Sherman.
"St. Thomas is a strong, athletic team that has only been improving over the year. They're a great competitor and great challenge for us coming out of our offseason. The guys are hungry though, and can't wait to get on that field. We're going to keep the main thing the main thing and play our brand of rugby," said Chance Loudenback.
The Black Knights went 7-2 during the 2025 fall campaign, and will ramp up for the CRAA D1A Playoffs with its three-match spring swing. After taking on St. Thomas, Army returns home for a pair of matches, vs. California on March 14 and vs. Guelph on March 21 for the second leg of the inaugural Cannon Cup.
A five-match winning streak highlighted a high-octane fall season for Army, a stretch which included a 52-7 win at Air Force on Halloween Night.
Several standout performers emerged for Army in the fall. Freshman John Benson led the Black Knights with six tries, a clip he shared with junior Chance Loudenback. In the point column, Howie Heller led with 62.
St. Thomas is currently in its first season as a member of CRAA D1A, after winning the national title a season ago at the D1AA level in both 15s and 7s. In November, the Bobcats lost their inaugural D1A fixture to Mount St. Mary's (MD) before picking up a win over Cayman Islands in January and Queens (NC) in February.
Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Men's Rugby on X @ArmyWP_MRugby and on Instagram @armywp_rugby. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about men's rugby and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Kickoff against the Bobcats at AutoNation Field is set for 6:00 p.m., with a stream provided by St. Thomas.
We're really looking forward to competing again against a very dangerous and aggressive St. Thomas team. We've been pleased with the mentality and effort the team has attacked this winter offseason with and look forward to testing ourselves against a quality opponent. We will learn a lot about where we are," said head coach Matt Sherman.
"St. Thomas is a strong, athletic team that has only been improving over the year. They're a great competitor and great challenge for us coming out of our offseason. The guys are hungry though, and can't wait to get on that field. We're going to keep the main thing the main thing and play our brand of rugby," said Chance Loudenback.
The Black Knights went 7-2 during the 2025 fall campaign, and will ramp up for the CRAA D1A Playoffs with its three-match spring swing. After taking on St. Thomas, Army returns home for a pair of matches, vs. California on March 14 and vs. Guelph on March 21 for the second leg of the inaugural Cannon Cup.
A five-match winning streak highlighted a high-octane fall season for Army, a stretch which included a 52-7 win at Air Force on Halloween Night.
Several standout performers emerged for Army in the fall. Freshman John Benson led the Black Knights with six tries, a clip he shared with junior Chance Loudenback. In the point column, Howie Heller led with 62.
St. Thomas is currently in its first season as a member of CRAA D1A, after winning the national title a season ago at the D1AA level in both 15s and 7s. In November, the Bobcats lost their inaugural D1A fixture to Mount St. Mary's (MD) before picking up a win over Cayman Islands in January and Queens (NC) in February.
Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Men's Rugby on X @ArmyWP_MRugby and on Instagram @armywp_rugby. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about men's rugby and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Players Mentioned
Hooker/Backrow
/ Men's Rugby
Scrumhalf
/ Men's Rugby
Center
/ Men's RugbyArmy vs Air Force
Saturday, October 29
Army vs St. Bonaventure
Sunday, October 02
Army vs Kutztown
Friday, September 09
Army vs. Life
Saturday, April 16