Before lifting three Lombardi trophies with the New England Patriots and becoming the first player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl and compete in the Olympics in the same year, Nate Ebner established himself as a household name in the rugby community first as an age grade national team star, playing in three Junior World Cups, and later as the darling of the Collegiate Rugby Championship. Nate famously played rugby in high school in lieu of rugby, walking onto the football team at Ohio State. He returned to rugby to play for the hometown Buckeyes at the inaugural CRC in 2010 in Columbus, OH and 2011 in Philadelphia, PA, respectively, earning selection to both all-tournament teams.
A High School All-American in rugby, Meya Bizer started her collegiate career playing soccer and kicking on the football team at the University of St. Thomas before transferring to play rugby at Penn State, becoming a four-time All American, a four-time national champion in 15s, and a three-time CRC champion, leading the Nittany Lions to consecutive titles from 2013-2016. She debuted for the 15s national team in 2012 in France, and for the 7s Eagles in 2013 in China. After two World Cup appearances, Bizer is now playing professionally for the Ealing Trailfinders in the Women’s Premiership in England.
With blazing speed, Rocco Mauer rose to stardom at the inaugural CRC in 2010 in Columbus, OH. He led the tournament in tries with 11, pacing Bowling Green to the Bowl (consolation) Championship. An unknown before the CRC, Mauer’s performance on the new, big stage acted as a springboard to higher honors. He was named an All American in 2011, the same year he debuted with the 7s national team, winning bronze at the 2011 Pan American Games. Mauer was one of the first athletes offered a full time training contract with the 7s Eagles in the modern Olympic era.
The explosive tackling and running of KB Slaughter helped the Life Running Eagles to back-to-back CRC titles in 2016 and 2017. She was a three-time All American at Life, debuting with 15s national team against New Zealand in 2018. Slaughter helped the Experts win the Premier Rugby Sevens United Championship in 2023, and in 15s was named MVP of the Women’s Premier League. She is the first women’s rugby player to be inducted into the Life Athletics Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Jon Prusmack founded the Collegiate Rugby Championship, creating the first ever 7s national championship and putting the sport on national television for the first time, which he would continue to do for a decade. Jon also founded what would later become RUGBY Magazine in 1968, published the first American book on rugby coaching, and moved the USA Sevens to Las Vegas and built it into a massive success before losing a long battle with cancer in 2018. Under Prusmack’s leadership, the CRC created the platform from which both generations of collegiate rugby athletes and the sport itself would realize immense opportunity.
Before she stood shoulder to shoulder building a rugby empire with Jon in stadium suites and press boxes, Patti Prusmack first watched her husband play, coach, and eventually referee grassroots rugby for decades. She was an early photographer for his “Scrumdown” and “RUGBY” magazines, which were first printed in 1968 and last published in 2011, serving as American rugby’s publication of record for 50 years. Patti still owns and operates Rhino Rugby USA, a proud partner in the Collegiate Rugby Championship, which couldn’t possibly carry on celebrating Jon’s legacy today without her vision.
.png)
