This mid-season report provides a comprehensive overview of the 2025-26 USA Club Women’s Rugby Division 2 landscape. As the postseason draws near, teams across the four Super Regions are fighting for a spot in the National Championships held this May in Illinois.
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series providing a mid-season status update on the national pathway. Today we take a deep dive into Women’s Division 2 and we previously covered Women’s Division 1 here.
Learn more about the 2025-26 USA Club Women’s Rugby Season here.
This information is based on the USA Rugby Club Competitions Committee (CCC) notes, the Rugby Xplorer (RX) Competition Management System (CMS), and personal conversations with Union representatives. We have done our best to get it right, but in an amateur sport, there are mistakes. Please let us know if something is off and we will make corrections.
The Postseason Pathway
The journey to a national title is a multi-step process. Following local league play, top teams advance to their Union Championships. From there, winners move to the Super Regionals (SR), which serve as the first two rounds of the National Championship Series. These events typically feature a “Round of 16” on day one and a “Round of 8” on day two. Only the four Super Regional champions (one each from the Pacific, Northern, Gulf Coast, and Atlantic) earn a ticket to the National Final Four in Chicago to compete for the championship.
2026 National Championship Details
The 2026 National Championships return to the Chicago Blaze Rugby Complex in Lemont, IL, from May 15–17.
- Dates: May 15–17, 2026
- Location: Chicago Blaze Rugby Complex, Lemont, IL
- Schedule: Division 1 Semifinals (Friday), Division 2 Semifinals (Saturday), Finals for both (Sunday).
- Watch: Live on The Rugby Network, produced by Next Level Rugby.
Super Regionals (SR)
Super Regionals serve as the “Round of 16” and “Round of 8.” The winners of these brackets advance to the National Final Four in Chicago.
Region | Dates | Location | Unions Involved |
Pacific | April 24–26 | Henderson, NV | PNW, NorCal, SoCal, Southwest |
Gulf Coast | April 25–26 | Austin, TX | Red River (TRU) |
Northern | May 2–3 | Lemont, IL | Midwest, Frontier |
Atlantic | May 2–3 | Niagara Univ, NY | NERFU, Capital, EPRU, Empire |
Division 2 Regional Deep Dive
Northern
The Northern region features a mix of teams that finished their competitive seasons in the fall and those currently battling through the spring mud.
- Midwest: Milwaukee Scylla has already qualified for the Northern Super Regional. After a dominant fall, they remain the heavy favorite coming out of the North.
- Mid-America: St. Louis continues to hold the top spot, but the Omaha Goats have officially surged into second place ahead of the Patriots.
- Rocky Mountain: CO Springs Pikes Peaks remains perfect at 4-0. They are set to face the second place SLUGS in the Union Championship on April 11.
History
The Northern region is home to established programs with deep postseason resumes. Milwaukee Scylla returns to the spotlight seeking to recapture the magic of 2017, when they secured a National Championship in a one point thriller over San Francisco Golden Gate. The St. Louis Sabres also bring elite experience to the bracket, having reached the National Championship match in 2018. More recently, the region has been the site of high-stakes battles, including last year’s narrow 28–24 victory by Las Vegas over Phoenixville.
Atlantic
The Atlantic region is a powerhouse corridor with several seeds already locked in from the fall “Empire” and “New England” competitions.
- The Fall Qualifiers: Providence (NERFU) and New Haven (Empire) have already qualified for the Atlantic Super Regional and are awaiting their spring opponents.
- Capital: Severn River has reclaimed first place over James River. The two sides meet one last time this weekend before the official Union Championship on April 18.
- EPRU: The Championship match is officially set for April 11 between Phoenixville White Horse and Monmouth.
History
The Atlantic corridor features a mix of recent champions and storied programs hungry for a return to the top. Providence stands as a modern powerhouse, having secured their first National Title in 2022 with a victory over the Knoxville Minx. Severn River remains one of the most consistent threats in the region, boasting National Runner-up finishes in both 2012 and 2023. They are joined by Monmouth, a club with a long history of national contention including a narrow 2004 National Championship appearance.
Pacific
The Pacific region is seeing huge shifts as undefeated streaks are put to the ultimate test. The West Coast is delivering top-tier rugby with several teams making late-season surges.
- PNW: Portland maintains the lead, but the rest of the table is shifting as Bend Lady Roughriders, Emerald, and Stellar all made significant moves.
- SoCal: Semifinals kick off this weekend featuring Los Angeles (#1) versus the Fullerton Wolfpack (#5) and Pasadena (#2) versus San Fernando (#4).
- NorCal: Phoenix continues to lead the pack with final matches scheduled for this weekend.
History
The Pacific region is currently defined by a new wave of talent. While many of these programs are relatively young, the level of competition in the West has surged in recent years. None of the current D2 sides have reached the National Championship final yet, meaning the region is wide open for a breakout program to establish a new legacy on the road to Chicago.
Gulf Coast
The Gulf Coast and South regions are entering a championship-heavy April with high-stakes matchups across the board.
- Red River Premiership: The Championship is set for April 11 featuring a massive showdown between Little Rock and San Antonio.
- Florida: Tampa continues their dominant undefeated run in first place. Orlando has leaped into second with the two leaders set for a final showdown on April 4.
- Carolinas: Semifinals take place this weekend featuring Charlotte (East #1) versus Fayetteville (East #3) and Atlanta 2.0 (West #1) versus Fear the Maniacs (East #2).
History
The Gulf Coast region boasts a heavy collection of hardware. Tampa Bay enters the postseason as the team with the target on their back, having dominated the 2024 National Final with a 59–14 win over White Horse. They follow in the footsteps of Charlotte, the 2018 National Champions, and Orlando, who took home the title in 2008. With three different former champions currently in the mix, the path through the South remains one of the most difficult in the country.
