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Life University and Life West won the Division I and Division II titles, respectively, at the USA Club Rugby 15s National Championships last weekend in Lemont, Ill. The Running Eagles bested NOVA in the semifinals before topping the Utah Vipers in the final, while the Gladiatrix eliminated Milwaukee Scylla in the DII semifinals and then Tampa Bay in the title match. Stay tuned for interviews with championship MVPs Brooklyn Vaifanua and Paita Satini. [lead photo c/o USA Club Rugby @usaclub.rugby]
It was a first for the women’s senior club sphere that a university-rooted team won a senior club title, but Life’s inclusion in the competition has precedence on the men’s side. Why did Life join USA Club Rugby this season? Because its collegiate competition options were essentially eliminated and the program had to get creative in order to play. The team played in CRAA’s Division I because DIA/DI Elite disappeared. It competed in CRAA 7s Premier Division and won that title against an NCAA varsity field. And then it ventured into the USA Club Rugby Division I space to see how it matched up against adults, and frankly, to just get some meaningful game time.
The DI field played a Friday semifinal/Sunday finals format, and Life University began its campaign in Lemont, Ill., with a 39-12 win against NOVA. Flanker Vaifanua, wings Nevaeh Elliott and Azhinaye Barner (2), front row Mercie Vivao and back-three Olivia Frisby scored the tries. USA Eagle and inside center Bella Vogel (2) and outside center Angie Mason kicked the conversions, and Mason also added a penalty kick. NOVA scored a try in both halves, the first coming from wing Mary Petronzio and the second from wing Emma Buxton. Hooker Allison Tong added the conversion.
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Meanwhile, 2025 DI champion Utah Vipers beat San Diego 29-19 in their Friday semifinal. The Surfers built a 12-0 lead after 10 minutes, putting Sheree Collins and Kaylee Westmoreland away with tries, and Natalie Figueroa adding the first of two conversions. The Vipers then responded with three-straight tries to take a 17-12 lead into the break. The Utahans kept pushing in the second half, getting another two scores before San Diego put Ashley Torrecillas into the try zone to end the match. All told, Vaimalo Manuo, Etta Mailau, Apa’au Mailau, Lili Toki and Queenette Toomalatai dotted down for Utah, and Shannon Woolley and Kayla Molisi added conversions.
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After a day’s rest, Life University and the Utah Vipers squared up for the DI final. The day belonged to the Running Eagles, who ran in 11 tries while holding the Vipers to 12 points. Barner, Frisby and No. 8 Leila Opeti scored a brace of tries apiece. Championship MVP Vaifanua, Elliott, Cece Rose, Alle English and Kina Latu contributed five points apiece, and Mason (5) and Vogel (2) handled conversions.
Life held Utah off the board until minute 56, when front row Tatiana Kelly scored. The 2025 champs added one more try through scrumhalf Toki, and captain Woolley kicked a conversion in the 69-12 decision.
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Division II played a Saturday/Sunday schedule, and the closest game occurred between Tampa Bay and Phoenixville – a replay of the 2024 final. The Krewe raced out to a 21-0 lead, as flanker Bethany Golatt, inside center Jen Fasano and prop Wanita Rodriguez scored. No. 8 Kelsey Cashem went 3/3 off the tee.
White Horse surged in the middle of the match, as flyhalf and captain Anna McGlade and outside center Kelsi Beahm scored tries and Murphy added a conversion. Fullback Emily Rajiha scored Tampa Bay’s fourth try, and the Florida team took a 26-12 lead into the break.
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Phoenixville actually outscored Tampa Bay in the second half, as inside center Madeleine Ross, scrumhalf Sydnei Scipio and No. 8 Casey Evans crossed the whitewash and Murphy converted on all three. Tampa Bay put flyhalf and captain Jarrett and Rahija away for key tries, and a Cashem conversion afforded the Krewe a 38-33 win.
Meanwhile, Life West pulled ahead in the second half against Milwaukee Scylla to win its semifinal 55-24. The Wisconsin team took a 17-15 lead into halftime, getting its tries from Kaitlyn Hickey and Claire Tomashek (2). Elizabeth St. Vincent scored shortly after the break, and Kyla Hensel added two conversions.
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Backs D’Ondra Bomar and Brayona Travis scored in the first quarter, and then the team started to find the try zone more regularly after flyhalf Nikki Kenyon dotted down. Satini, Bomar, Alia Simmonds, Louise Gabele, Aly Namosimalua and Angie Olukunmi followed with tries, and Gabele kicked five conversions.
Life West rolled that momentum into the final against Tampa Bay, putting away Janessa Ibarra Prado and Mariko Moore into the try zone during the opening minutes. Gabele converted for the 12-0 scoreline, which held for nearly a half hour.
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Tampa Bay’s Rahija scored back-to-back tries, and Cashem’s conversion made it 12-all in the second half, but then a brace of tries from championship MVP Satini in the fourth quarter sealed it for Life West. Gabele’s conversion accounted for the final points of the game: 24-12 to the ‘Trix.