Championship Recap + Forthcoming Player & Coach Interviews

If you haven’t noticed, it is championship season at all levels of the game, 7s and 15s rugby. TRB is covering it all (up-to-date tracking occurs through the SCORES page), but it takes some time to get those individual interviews up. The following is a review of who’s won, upcoming fixtures, and interviews that will post shortly.

USA … The Eagles finished 6th at the Canada Women’s 7s, the fifth and penultimate stop on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. The USA Falcons competed at the NexGen 7s and played five games against Canadian representative teams.

CLUB … NOVA won the DI Atlantic Super Regional [interview with captain Ariel Johnson in the making] and Providence won DII. Both are heading to nationals May 20-22 in Atlanta. Rappahannock is the DIII Atlantic champion [interview with Erick Grabman forthcoming]. TRB also spoke with Tempe captain Alex Jaros and the Pacific region champ’s impending trip to DI nationals.

• Interviews to post: Old Pueblo reps Southwest at DII Pacific regionals [coach Matthew Quay] • CO Gray Wolves’ top seed in DI West [coach Adam Dick] • TRB will be on site for the Pacific Super Regional this weekend

Sadie Schier with the USA Falcons / Photo: Alex Ho

COLLEGE … CRAA named its two spring 15s champions in DI BYU [interview: freshman prop Kambria Hartrick] over Virginia Tech, and DII Claremont Colleges [interview: head coach Roger Light] over San Diego State; and 15s national champion in DI Elite’s Lindenwood University [interview: fullback Helen van Hattem] over Life University.

COLLEGE 7s … NCR held its Small College 7s National Championship, and Great Waters’ Univ. Chicago defeated South Dakota for top honors [read UChicago interview with coaches Nora McConnell-Johnson and Betty Nguyen]. … ACRA also held its 7s championship and host U.S. Coast Guard Academy [interview still TBD] took home the title, while Colorado Mesa State traveled across the country to represent the Rocky Mountain conference and finish second [interview with coach Mack Lewis forthcoming].

• Also in the wings: Karsen Rust creates IUPUI women’s rugby & will represent Ohio Valley at CRCs

HIGH SCHOOL … Divine Savior Holy Angels won the Midwest HS 15s Championship [read more from coach John Klein], which should bring with it a top seed to nationals • Iowa Hawkettes celebrate the reintroduction of 15s to the state [Kelsie McDowell interview forthcoming].