The first girls’ high school 15s national tournament was held 25 years ago, and the title has been the pinnacle of achievement for this segment of the rugby population. Since 2000, the event itself has undergone many iterations, and the planning of the 2026 Girls Rugby National XVs Championships is no different. The biggest takeaway? The single-school and high school club stakeholders are formally working together, and the coordination has already yielded benefits.
Rather than separate organizing committees for the single-school and high school club championships, there is now one committee with members from both sectors planning the 2026 event. This evolution aims to streamline communication, establish one set of standards for both competitions, and bring consistency to the event as a whole.
Chris Kovac out of Idaho is the committee chairman, and he will work with six members from across the country:
Chris Kovac (Idaho) – Chairman
chris.kovac1@gmail.com
Letizia Wolfgramm (Utah) – Operations
Letiziawolfgramm@gmail.com
Matt Frank (New York) – East Single School Representative
matthew_frank60@yahoo.com
Kraig Smikel (Idaho) – West Single School Representative
ksmikel.ks@hotmail.com
Alicia Tice (North Carolina) – East Club Representative
aliciamtice@icloud.com
Brian Ahern (New Jersey) – East Club Representative
ahernwatchmaker@gmail.com
Robert Pahulu (California) – West Club Representative
Sgleadops@belmontshorerfc.com
The new event logo (lead photo) now features seven stars to represent the seven-person committee. Additionally, the official name of the tournament has changed to the “Girls Rugby National XVs Championships,” which includes both the single-school and high school club competitions, and their respective trophies. The new combination committee has already made some important decisions, namely, signing the host union, the 2026 dates, and the host venue:
2026 Girls Rugby Nationals XVs Championships
Date: Friday-Saturday, May 15-16
Venue: Regional Athletic Center
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Tournament directors: Travis Stoddard (travis@utahyouthrugby.org), Brent Meier (brent@utahyouthrugby.org)
Application form
Divisions
High School Club — Tier 1 and Tier 2
Single-School — Tier 1 and Tier 2
Middle School
The middle school division will be playing 15s, and all-star, academy, club and single-school teams are welcome to apply. But the High School Club and Single School championships are only for those teams that compete in regular-season competitions with their local SYROs.
There is much more to come, including a new website, partnership announcements and updated rankings. In the meantime, reach out to the committee and/or the tournament directors for more information, or if you’re already committed to the 2026 championship, fill out the application form now.