05/17/2026
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🏉 BREVARD RED EYES HEADED TO THE NATIONAL FINAL
The Brevard Old Red Eye Rugby Club is one win away from a national title.
On Saturday in Lemont, Illinois, the Red Eyes took down the previously dominant Detroit Tradesmen 53-29 in the Men’s Division 3 semifinal of the 2026 USA Club Rugby National Championships, booking their spot in tomorrow’s championship match.
This is the third straight year Brevard has reached the national Final Four. They came up just short the last two seasons, falling in the 2024 final to the Austin Blacks and in the 2025 final to the Columbia Rhinos. Tomorrow, in the club’s 50th anniversary year, they get another shot at finishing the job.
The road here has been anything but easy. The Red Eyes claimed their third consecutive Florida Rugby Union D3 title with a 52-24 win over the previously undefeated Palm Beach Panthers, then captured their first Gulf Coast Super Regional crown in Austin with a dramatic comeback over New Orleans, rallying from a 24-0 halftime deficit to win 26-24.
Standing in the way tomorrow is Syracuse, the Atlantic Super Regional champion and a 2011 national runner-up. With the Austin Blacks out of the picture this year, a new name will be added to the D3 national trophy, and Brevard intends for it to be theirs.
The championship match will be livestreamed on the USA Rugby YouTube channel. Coached by Mike “Kiwi” Nevin and led by club President Corkey Newman, this Space Coast side has been knocking on the door for three years. Tomorrow they try to kick it down.
Let’s bring it home, Brevard. 🔴