One of the biggest games of the U.S. college rugby weekend arrives under the lights Friday when the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) No. 3 Queens University of Charlotte makes the short trip to face No. 4 Belmont Abbey.
The Atlantic Rugby Conference matchup kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, October 2, with the game streaming free on NCR TV.
The early-season meeting brings together two nationally ranked programs with something significant in common: both have come within a single point of beating defending national champion St. Bonaventure.
Now they meet in what NCR describes as a battle for second place in the conference.
Two One-Point Losses Tell the Story
St. Bonaventure sits at 2–0 in Atlantic Rugby Conference play, but its victories over Belmont Abbey and Queens have come by a combined margin of only two points.
Belmont Abbey pushed the defending national champions all the way on September 19 before falling 14–13.
One week later, Queens came just as close. The Royals regained the lead at 21–15 with approximately 21 minutes remaining before St. Bonaventure responded to move ahead 22–21.
Queens still had a late opportunity to retake the lead from the kicking tee, but the penalty attempt went wide and the Bonnies held on.
Both Queens and Belmont Abbey enter Friday at 1–1 in conference play, setting up the battle for second place behind the 2–0 Bonnies.
Queens Enters at 4–2
Queens enters Friday 4–2 overall and 1–1 in the Atlantic Rugby Conference.
The Royals opened the season with a 47–0 victory over Rio Grande before losing at Army. They responded with three consecutive victories, beating Southern Virginia 45–3, Southern Nazarene 22–16 and Kutztown 41–21 before last weekend’s one-point loss at St. Bonaventure.
The Kutztown victory opened conference play and continued the momentum of a program that reached the NCR Division I national championship game last season.
Queens’ 2025 postseason run included a 26–22 victory over St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic Rugby Conference championship game before the Royals met Belmont Abbey in the NCR national semifinals on December 6.
That semifinal showed just how close this Charlotte-area rivalry had become.
Belmont Abbey Has Closed the Gap
Queens has won all four previous meetings between the programs, but the most recent encounter was dramatically closer.
The Royals won 43–10 in 2023, 30–10 in 2024 and 47–19 during the 2025 regular season.
In the national semifinal, only four points separated them, with Queens winning 19–15 to advance to the national championship game.
Friday brings something the rivalry has never seen before: a game at Belmont Abbey.
All four previous meetings were played at Queens. This time the Royals make the short trip to Belmont, adding another element to an increasingly competitive local rivalry.
Belmont Abbey Enters at 3–1
The Crusaders have opened the fall with three wins from four games.
Belmont Abbey started with a 36–0 victory at Clemson, followed by a 26–20 conference win at Wheeling. Its only defeat came against St. Bonaventure.
Last weekend brought a very different test. The Crusaders fell behind Wingate 20–0 before producing a major turnaround to win 45–26, with Joaquin Dlugovitzky scoring three second-half tries.
Belmont Abbey’s development has come under former Argentina international Genaro Fessia.
Fessia joined the program as an assistant coach in 2022, served as interim head coach during the 2024 spring sevens season and was appointed permanent head coach in May 2024.
He earned 18 caps for Argentina from 2004 to 2012 and represented the Pumas at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Players to Watch
Queens captain Keanin Kamp provides an experienced presence in the Royals pack. Kamp is a senior who represented the Southeast Bears and was selected to NCR’s 2026 All-Tournament Team.
Queens’ freshman class has already contributed in important moments.
Against St. Bonaventure, Joey Craig scored from an interception and Arden Redmond also crossed before halftime. Fellow freshman Harrison Redmond added a second-half try that restored Queens’ lead at 21–15.
Belmont Abbey’s Harrison Tu’isila will be central to the Crusaders’ attack at flyhalf. Like Kamp, Tu’isila represented the Southeast Bears and earned a place on NCR’s 2026 All-Tournament Team.
NCR also highlights loose forward Riordan Sweet and inside center Will Rimes among the key Belmont Abbey players entering Friday’s matchup.
Joaquin Dlugovitzky provides another attacking threat after scoring three second-half tries in Belmont Abbey’s comeback against Wingate.
What to Watch
Can Queens Get the Ball Wide?
Queens captain Keanin Kamp told NCR that the Royals like to play quickly, distributing the ball to the edge before bringing it back.
That creates one of Friday’s key tactical questions: whether Queens can generate the quick ball and space it needs against the Belmont Abbey defense.
How Does Belmont Abbey Respond When the Game Changes?
The Crusaders showed against Wingate that a difficult start does not necessarily take them out of a contest.
A 20-point deficit became a 19-point win, with Dlugovitzky’s second-half hat trick helping turn the game around.
Fessia’s approach gives his players freedom to make decisions based on what they see in front of them, with an emphasis on moving the ball. Queens will need to account for Tu’isila at flyhalf while dealing with threats across the Belmont Abbey lineup.
Taking Chances Late
The previous meeting provides enough reason to watch the closing stages closely.
Only four points separated these teams in the NCR national semifinal in December. If Friday produces another close finish, discipline, field position and converting scoring opportunities could become decisive.
Why This Game Matters
Queens enters as last season’s NCR Division I national runner-up and is ranked No. 3 by NCR entering Friday’s matchup.
Belmont Abbey is No. 4 after opening its season 3–1.
There is also a rivalry developing between two programs separated by only a short drive across the Charlotte area. Queens has won every meeting so far, but the margin shrank from 28 points in their 2025 regular-season meeting to just four in the national semifinal.
For the first time in the rivalry, Belmont Abbey gets Queens on its home field.
Queens vs Belmont Abbey — Match Information
Match: Queens University of Charlotte at Belmont Abbey College
Competition: Atlantic Rugby Conference / NCR Friday Night Rugby
Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 5:00 p.m. PT
Location: Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, North Carolina
Watch: NCR TV — free stream
Follow Rugby Fan Central throughout the weekend for college rugby scores, schedules, results and coverage from NIRA, NCR and CRAA.
American rugby lives here.
Follow USA College Rugby
Follow the college rugby season with Rugby Fan Central, including National Collegiate Rugby, NIRA and CRAA schedules, results, standings, match centres and the latest news.
