Southern Nazarene Shines in Houston

Southern Nazarene University (SNU) is the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division I 15s Championship titleholder, and the Bethany, Okla., program reported to Houston, Texas, with that title already secured. The team’s intended opponent had forfeited, and DI-AA Univ. Northern Iowa stepped up in a big way to feature in the Dec. 6 finale inside SaberCats Stadium. The outing allowed the Crimson Storm to really showcase their depth of talent and dedication during its 82-21 win, and both teams provided fans and the rugby community with an entertaining match.

RELATED: SNU, We’ll Play Anyone (Gilliland)

 

Less than a week before the NCR DI 15s National Championship was set to kick off, the member organization was alerted that 2024 titleholder Wheeling University had to withdraw. Read the press release. There is much to mourn in a situation like this, but the immediate order of business was finding a replacement team for finalist Southern Nazarene to play. The Storm had done everything right and deserved that final runout, and NCR hustled to make that game happen.

“All week we weren’t sure if we even had a game, but we just continued going hard in practice, continuing going hard in the weightroom, and kept our heads up,” Southern Nazarene scrumhalf Chloe Tarango said. “And whoever was going to get on the field with us, we decided that we were going to play them just the same as if it were Wheeling.”

 

Fortunately, one team was able to turn around a massive trip in the matter of days: University of Northern Iowa. Coached by tone-setter Meghan Flanigan, the Panthers rallied around one more 15s opportunity for the season and in a championship atmosphere. Throughout their whole stay in Houston, UNI represented the community, joy and optimism that is the best of this sport.

Throughout the week, Southern Nazarene kept the mindset that saw them through a fall schedule that involved several other forfeits and cancelations: We’ll play whoever will play us. And that’s what happened on Dec. 6.

 

“I left everything out on that field, and so did my girls,” Tarango said of the effort. “We were here a year ago, and we came up short. So no one wanted it more than us.”

But Northern Iowa didn’t lay down. Southern Nazarene worked the overload to send fullback Olivia Johnson and flyhalf Ireland Jeffrey into the corner for tries, leading 10-0 after a few minutes. UNI fullback Macie Graves answered with a try that inside center Avery Bird converted. The Storm responded through outside center Telesi Uhatafe and wing Jaylyn Isaacs, and UNI came right back with a try from Graves and conversion from Bird. After 30 minutes, it was only 22-14.

 

“I think it was after half, honestly,” Tarango said of when the team settled into its game. “We went in hard, but we had some challenges throughout the game. But after the half, we decided, ‘We have 40 minutes left until this national championship is over. We better go off.'”

SNU did kick into another gear through the meat of the match, posting 53-straight points before the Panthers could work the ball to Bird for a final try and conversion. But UNI never flagged and kept competing against a truly physical, synced and fast Southern Nazarene.

 

All told, SNU scored 14 tries and five came from Telesi Uhatafe. The senior center has the power to direct the course of a game and absolutely applied that power against UNI. Uhatafe is one of five nominees for the DI Player of the Year. UNI’s Morgan Linck is also a nominee for the DI-AA Player of the Year.

“She came in after my first year, and her hard work, her effort has never wavered,” Tarango said of the senior and Championship MVP. “If anything, she stepped into a leadership role pretty early on, and everybody was kind of just forced to meet her standards, but she set the tone for our entire culture, our entire team. I’m excited to see what she has in store for her career in rugby.”

 

Johnson, Isaacs, Tarango, Lauren Anderson (2), Ireland Jeffrey (2) and Vivianne Wright (2) scored tries across the full 80, while Riley Erickson (5) and Jillian Mataele kicked the conversions.

“Watch for Riley Erickson,” Tarango said of up-and-comers. “She actually started out as a 10, and she tore her ACL and had a huge setback. And then she came in as a forward when she returned. She just runs her lines and sees those gaps as if she was still back.”

 

Southern Nazarene stayed true to its goal of playing with that championship standard and wholly deserved to hoist that 2025 trophy after 80 minutes and a tough fall schedule.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Tarango said underneath the stadium lights. “You have no idea. Last year we left so heartbroken. I just knew that I did not want to ever feel that way ever again. And it being my last year, I wanted it more than anything. I feel amazing right now.”