By: Caroline Heimerl
Your Honey Badgers are proud to call themselves the runners-up of the 2023 D2 USA Club Rugby National Championships!
After closing their 2022 spring season at the Atlantic Regionals, the Honey Badgers were committed to putting in the work needed to punch their ticket to Nationals for the first time since their 2012-2013 season. Spring practices were dedicated to conditioning, agility work, strategy, and team cohesion.
Thanks to their diligence, and the unwavering support of their communities, the Honey Badgers fought their way to St. Louis after clawing their way through a harrowing Regionals weekend against Phoenixville Whitehorse and New Haven. These matches prepared the Honey Badgers for the fight to come in St. Louis.
Despite the challenging heat during their first game against Milwaukee Scylla, the Badgers did not slow down. The team, provided the first four tries of the match thanks to scorers Kathryn Todorovich, Shanna Davidson, Sara Mercado, and Alyson McCarty. A conversion kick by Casey Hartzell cemented a strong early lead. While Scylla responded with two tries before the end of the half, Severn continued their dominance in the second half with another three tries by Taylor McLean, Kaitlyn Marshall, and Maddie Steele and a conversion by Charlee Bryan. With Scylla only securing another two tries, the Honey Badgers walked away with 39 points to Milwaulkee’s 24, advancing to the championship final.
On Sunday, a determined Severn River faced off against 2022’s runners- up:, the Knoxville Minx. Again, Kathryn Todorovich brought the first try of the game, which Knoxville returned with their eventual tournament MVP, USA Eagle Jennine Detiveaux. Severn reclaimed the lead with a try by Tanya Gouws, but the Minx pulled ahead with the score sitting at 10-19 at the half. The Honey Badgers remained ferocious in the second half, providing the support for another two tries by Kathryn Todorovich and Cheryl Johnson. Adding their own two tries in the second half, and a total of four conversions, Knoxville came out on top, ending the game at 22-33.
While the outcome wasn’t what they had hoped, Severn enjoyed a night of celebration as the 2nd best D2 women’s team in the nation. The silver plate was escorted back home to Maryland by trusted members of the men’s team, and now sits proudly at sponsor Stan and Joe’s Saloon. The Honey Badgers would like to thank all their friends, family, and supporters for their part in an impressive championship run. They look forward to improving on their performance next year as the Honey Badgers continue to enthusiastically reach for the gold.