Last weekend was a big one for girls’ high school rugby competitions and the naming of champions. The fall means different things to different states — from the lone official competition for its girls’ high schoolers, to a friendly, more relaxed 7s series. For more insight into those distinctions, read this TRB update from earlier in the fall. The following reviews those teams that raised trophies last weekend, but stayed tuned for in-depth features reviewing their months-long build to the podium. [lead photo c/o @badgerkings10]
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Wisconsin is the first state in the country to hold its 15s championship this 2024-25 season, and uniquely, finals days plays out to 7th place. (Badger Kings was on the ground so check his account for more coverage.) So Sunday at Hart Park in Wauwatosa started with Stevens Point Area High School (SPASH) defeating Fox Cities 75-20 for 7th. Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) JV followed with a 45-24 win against the Bruisers for 5th, and then Green Bay made program history with a 13-12 win against Hamilton to finish third. The championship final came down to DSHA and Catholic Memorial — a classic — and the Dashers turned a 7-0 halftime lead into a 21-5 state title. Read more from one of my favorite blogs. And check out @badgerkings10, who does a great job covering Wisconsin rugby as a whole.
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DSHA is a dynasty, as is Summit High School in Colorado. The Frisco-based program competes in the Colorado Interscholastic Rugby Association (CIRA) and fielded four 7s teams this year. Saturday’s championship culminated in a 24-5 final’s win against Monarch High School and 17th state title. Read more from the Summit Daily, which shows a lot of love for the girls’ high school team. The all-state game followed and Summit placed 17 players on the field.
For the Iowa Youth Rugby Association, the girls’ 7s season in the fall is the championship season for the school year. On Sunday, the top-eight teams met in Cedar Falls to determine the 2024-25 champ, and both the quarterfinals and semifinals were won by the higher seeds. See bracket. Host Cedar Falls and Waverly-Shell Rock, the top-two ranked teams in the standings, met in the title bout. In Week 1 of the season, Cedar Falls prevailed 33-12. That was not the case in the rematch, however, as Waverly-Shell Rock triumphed for the 2024 trophy. Southeast Polk defeated Central Springs for 3rd. Lots of great photos from the following account:
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North Carolina holds a three-stop 7s series in the fall for both girls’ and boys’ high schoolers. The girls run Tier 1 and Tier 2 competitions, and they named their champs on Sunday. Hough topped the six-team Tier 1, while host Southern Pines won the nine-team Tier 2.
Ohio runs the largest fall 7s competition in the country — at least for girls’ high schools — and named series winners in Cup and Shield brackets. Medina beat Hudson 35-5 in the Shield final, and John Marshall took bronze with a 15-7 win against Cincinnati. In the Cup division, Pennsylvania’s West Pitt beat St. Joseph’s Academy 28-24 for top honors, while Brunswick beat Perry for 3rd. (Rugby Ohio explained that this competition isn’t a state championship per se — that designation is reserved for 15s only — and that’s why out-of-state teams can compete. See: West Pitt feature)
WHO’S NEXT?
Among high schoolers, there are three big state competitions taking place this weekend. Rugby Colorado will holds is club 7s championship (CIRA is for single schools only). Same with Tennessee, which will meet in Hendersonville. And Pennsylvania is a two-day affair in Reading.