[Disclaimer: This article is part of our April Fools’ Day issue.]
BREAKING: Poughkeepsie, NY – On Aug. 25 at The Farm on Vassar College’s campus in Poughkeepsie, NY, the Vassar Women’s Rugby team will face the NFL’s New York Jets in an exhibition match. The news was first announced in a joint release from Vassar Athletics and the New York Jets Football Team on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
The Vassar women’s rugby team has enjoyed three NCR Division II national championships in the past five years, proving their absolute dominance at the highest level. A large part of the squad’s success can be credited to Head Coach Tony Brown, who is always looking to pair the team up with challenging opponents to push his players to their absolute best. In a move that will prove to be beneficial to both parties, the New York Jets football team have agreed to face the Vassar women’s rugby team in a friendly competition this upcoming summer. New York Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn told reporters that he hoped the decision would even help skill up his own squad, “everyone knows that Vassar College’s women’s rugby team features some extremely elusive, quick and really, frankly just smart, good decision-making running backs, I think they just call them “backs,” but in any event there is no question that we could learn a thing or two from the reigning champs.” The event should be fascinating, and is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. While the contest will not be broadcast on national television, it can be viewed through a CBS subsidiary with a Paramount+ subscription.
The match will be a typical Rugby Union match where two teams of 15 players have 80 minutes to advance the ball past their opponent’s side of the field (pitch) and touch it to the ground for a score worth five points (a try). The match will mark the first-ever showdown between a Division II collegiate rugby team and an NFL franchise.
While the Jets may have the size advantage, analysts agree that the Brewers’ speed, technique and ferocity to tackle give them a clear edge. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith did not hold back when discussing the matchup on “First Take,” “Let me tell you something right now: The New York Jets are about to get EMBARRASSED. Their offensive line has more holes than Swiss cheese, and don’t get me started on their defense. I’ve seen scarecrows with better defensive awareness than this Jets secondary. And worst of all, THEY HAVE A RUNNING BACK PLAYING QUARTERBACK. And have you seen this Brewers team hit? Oh lord, I can feel the sonic booms from the studio when they practice up in Poughkeepsie. They EAT hit-sticks for breakfast! If I’m the Jets, fake an injury, call in sick, do whatever you got to do, but do not show up to this game expecting a cakewalk because it might get ugly and quickly for this Jets squad.” Smith is not the only commentator to chime in on the unique matchup. Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said via X, “Wow. Hadn’t heard of Vassar College until now but looks like their women’s rugby team means business. If the Jets can’t adjust to rugby rules quickly, they could find themselves in quite a bit of a hole!”
Brady’s sentiment is shared with Tony Brown, head coach of the rugby program at Vassar. In Brown’s comments to The Miscellany News, he stressed that while the Jets may have the physical upper hand, his players have been playing rugby for years and are well-versed in the at-times complicated rules of the game. Michelle Walsh, Director of Athletics at Vassar College, told The Miscellany News, “At first, sure, there was some concern over the risk of injuring our players. But, as Coach Brown assured me, and as I know from watching the Jets for years, the only players who should be worried about a potential setback are those on the visiting New York Jets.”
As the match approaches, players, fans, parents and alumni have been flocking to reserve tickets for the event which go on sale in just a few weeks. While the news of the match appeared shocking to many at first, the contest should be an exciting event, with one of the top women’s rugby teams in Division II facing off against, well, frankly, a faltering professional football team. The opportunity comes just before the New York Jets kick off their season and at the onset of the Brewer’s fall campaign.