Boca Raton has notified USA Rugby South and Midwest RFU that the club will not make its trip to Iowa to play Palmer College in the DI Club Competitive Region 3 playoffs upcoming.

Boca finished last, 4^th, in USA Rugby South (there were five teams, but Tampa Krewe dropped out), thus earning the right to visit Midwest #1 Palmer.

Given that the South only had three playoff eligible teams last year, and at least three other times saw the #4 team not make the trip to play the Midwest #1, it came as no surprise that Boca isn’t traveling.

According to USA Rugby South competitions head Peter Steyn, the reasons Boca gave are geography and finances, not the prospect of a hiding.

“I know people don't want to hear about these two items and see them as lame excuses but the reality is all of Boca's opponents are at least 10 hours away and in the case of New Orleans 13 hours,” said Steyn, who added that Boca will be dropping back to DII next year. “Raleigh in MARFU D1 had four road games and a total round trip time of 44 hours for those. Boca, with three road trips, totaled 64 hours on the road. As it exists under its current format, DI is untenable for the South.”