Navy Men’s Rugby Overwhelms Southern Virginia in 64-8 Rout
The Navy men’s rugby team remained unbeaten Saturday with another dominant performance, overwhelming Southern Virginia, 64-8, at the Prusmack Rugby Center in Annapolis. Navy improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in Rugby East play while extending its conference winning streak after entering the weekend with eight consecutive Rugby East victories. The Midshipmen scored 10 tries and controlled nearly every phase of the match, continuing what has been a tremendous start to the 2026-27 season.
Navy wasted almost no time establishing control, as a powerful run from Nonso Unini helped create an opportunity for Reid Gerber to score the opening try just over three minutes into the match. Avion Ganse then attacked the edge and delivered an offload to Eric Wrzysczynski, who scored his first try of the season to extend Navy’s lead. Brennon Braud followed with another try at the 11:42 mark after Navy used a driving maul from approximately 22 meters out, giving the Midshipmen three tries in less than 12 minutes.
The pressure never really stopped during the remainder of the first half, and Wrzysczynski scored his second try in the 25th minute after another strong Navy maul created the opportunity. Gerber added his second try at 30:57 when Navy again used its forwards to put Southern Virginia under tremendous pressure near the try line. Sam Pirkl converted three first-half tries, while Southern Virginia’s Saki Tikotani finally put the Knights on the scoreboard with a penalty kick as Navy carried a commanding 31-3 advantage into halftime.
Navy immediately resumed its attack after halftime, capitalizing on a Southern Virginia high-tackle penalty before Jude Ballinger finished another lineout-and-maul sequence for his first try of the season. Southern Virginia produced its best offensive stretch shortly afterward and finally broke through Navy’s defense when Ammon Filipe scored a try at 51:23, cutting the margin to 38-8. That would be the Knights’ final score, however, as Navy’s depth and conditioning took over during the final 30 minutes.
Waylon Davis started the final barrage with a pick-and-go try in the 62nd minute after John Masino broke through a gap and helped move Navy inside the 5-meter line. Aidan Gerber then delivered one of the most impressive individual plays of the afternoon, intercepting a pass with one hand near midfield and racing untouched for another Navy try. Jayden Saxton scored his first try of the season off a 5-meter scrum in the 73rd minute before Noah Wiidakas finished the scoring along the sideline in the closing minutes, completing the 64-8 rout.
Pirkl quietly played an enormous role in turning Navy’s tries into an overwhelming point total, converting seven kicks and finishing with 14 points. Reid Gerber and Wrzysczynski each scored twice in the first half, but the broader story was Navy’s remarkable scoring distribution throughout the lineup. The Midshipmen entered Saturday with 16 different players having already scored at least one try this season, and Ballinger and Saxton added their first tries of the campaign against Southern Virginia.
The performance also continued a remarkable statistical start for Navy, which entered the game having outscored its first four opponents 209-20 while surrendering only two tries. Add Saturday’s result and the Midshipmen have now outscored their first five opponents 273-28, including victories of 50-0 over St. Bonaventure, 78-0 over Air Force, 55-6 over Mary Washington, 26-14 over Army and 64-8 over Southern Virginia. Navy has therefore averaged 54.6 points per game while allowing just 5.6 points per contest during its undefeated start.
Perhaps most encouraging for Navy is that Saturday’s performance came one week after a much more physical challenge against rival Army. The Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights, 26-14, to claim their fourth consecutive Star Match victory before returning home and showing no signs of a letdown against Southern Virginia. Navy’s ability to win a physical rivalry game and then immediately produce a 56-point victory reinforces just how complete Gavin Hickie’s team has looked through the opening five matches.
The competition gets considerably tougher next weekend when Navy travels to Marietta, Georgia, for a Rugby East showdown against Life University. Life represents a familiar challenge after Navy defeated the Running Eagles, 35-21, in the 2026 national semifinals by erasing a 21-0 deficit and scoring 35 unanswered points in the second half. The upcoming matchup should provide another significant test for a Navy squad that has looked every bit like a national championship contender through the opening portion of the season.
MSB Take
Navy men’s rugby is not simply winning games right now; the Midshipmen are overwhelming opponents with depth, physicality and an attack capable of producing points from virtually anywhere on the field. Scoring 273 points while surrendering only 28 through five games is an extraordinary level of dominance, and Saturday demonstrated that Navy does not need to rely on one or two players to generate offense. The upcoming trip to Life should tell us considerably more, but through five games the Midshipmen have once again established themselves as one of the programs that should be taken seriously in the national championship race.
