In a back-and-forth affair that certainly built steam for future final matchups, the 18^th-ranked Grand Canyon University Men's Rugby team couldn't overcome a couple of late opponents' scores in a 40-25 loss to 16^th-ranked University of Mary Washington (Virginia) in the inaugural Challenger's Cup Final Saturday morning in Indianapolis, Indiana. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lopes – their longest since 2023. The match – and the newly created Challenger's Cup, which gives teams that just missed qualifying for the D1A Rugby Men's National Championships a chance to compete - was part of the College Rugby Association of America's Championship Weekend, which holds six different championships on one field. The Lopes have earned a berth in the weekend – either in 15's or 7's competition – each of the last three years.

It took a month to whittle the eight-team Challenger's Cup field down to two, and it was fitting that the top seeds from each side of the bracket not only were dominant in advancing to the final but played like No. 1 seeds. It was a fast start that staked Mary Washington to a lead it would never relinquish, but the Lopes continued to nip at the Eagles' heels throughout the day on the scoreboard. Brennen Boyle – coming off a "hat trick" in GCU's semifinal win two weeks ago – picked up where he left off, scoring the Lopes' first try of the day. Luke Neely and 2025 scoring leader Ben Saunders followed suit before the end of the half, bringing the Lopes back within five at the break, 20-15. Saunders and Jackson Gray both found the try zone in the second half, and the Lopes stayed within range of the Eagles until the final minutes, but late UMW scores put the match out of reach.
 
"I am so proud of our guys for staying in the fight right to the final whistle," said Lopes' Head Coach Sean O'Leary. "I love the creation of the Challenger Cup. Increased exposure for an additional four weeks has really helped our recruiting numbers. It also really focused our players on returning to Indy next year to claim the top spot."
 
Saunders ended the year with a team-high nine tries (to go along with 48 points scored off either two-point conversions or penalty kicks) while Gray added six tries on the season. The Lopes finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 5-5 overall record.