Another summer of sevens has come and gone, and with it, another National Championship has been recorded in the books. This past weekend, 32 rugby teams battled it out in Madison, Wisconsin, after a season of triumph and heartbreak in their respective regions.
A weekend disrupted by lightning delays and rain, these teams fought to prove who was the best of the best. In the end, only two would claim the title of USA Rugby 7s National Champions.
The Lions Women’s Redemption Arc
The Chicago Lions women had a season-long redemption arc after falling short in the National Final last year. They dominated Pool D, tore through the quarterfinals against the Washington Athletic Club women, and overcame a tough challenge from Scion in the semifinals. The final was a thrilling rematch against the Chicago North Shore women, who had bested them twice before in Regionals. The Lions women took an early lead, but North Shore fought back to take the lead. In a nail-biting finish, Sereana Vulaono tied the game with a try, and Ashley Cowdrey sealed the victory with a conversion, securing the National Championship for the Chicago Lions women.
Northeast Exceed Expectations
The women’s teams from the Northeast region had a standout performance, with both Boston women and Old Blue men making it to the Cup knockouts despite low initial rankings. Boston women battled their way to the Plate Final, where they faced the Washington Athletic Club women. Despite a try from Katie Lohaus, they fell short, finishing 6th overall, a significant improvement from their 9th-place ranking last year.
The Surprise of NorCal’s Women
The NorCal women’s teams, all of whom qualified At-Large, proved their low rankings were inaccurate. The All Blues women went undefeated in pool play, including a convincing win over the WAC, and advanced all the way to the bronze final, finishing 4th. Life West also surpassed expectations, jumping eight places from their 15th-place ranking to finish 7th after a dominant 35-0 win over the San Diego Surfers.
A Topsy Turvy Weekend for Texas
The women’s teams from the Red River region experienced a mixed bag of results. The higher-ranked Austin Huns men and Dallas Harlequins women both struggled, finishing at the bottom of their pools. However, the HEB women, a lower-ranked team, outperformed their seeding. They advanced to the Bowl Final after a massive 47-0 win and finished 10th overall, proving that seeding doesn’t always determine the outcome.
The WAC Women’s Road to Hardware
After winning bronze medals the previous two years, the Washington Athletic Club women had their sights set on a higher prize. However, a tough pool play loss to the All Blues put them on a difficult path. Despite an early exit from the Cup competition after a quarterfinal loss to the Chicago Lions women, they refused to give up. They battled their way through the Plate knockouts, ultimately winning the Plate Final against Boston to secure a respectable 5th-place finish and bring home some hardware.
Below is a summary of all the winners from the past weekend. You can find all the results from the weekend here and rewatch all the matches on The Rugby Network.
I saw that weather delays were frequent. The Rugby Network finally made streams of the day 2 matches available, albeit days later. I will watch finals now.