INDIANAPOLIS, IN. – The Life University Running Eagles women's rugby team delivered one of the most resilient and dramatic performances in program history, capturing the 2026 CRAA Women's Rugby 7s Premier Division National Championship with a thrilling 17-12 overtime victory over Lindenwood University on April 26 at Kuntz Stadium.

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This marks the second time the Eagles have won the CRAA 7s national title and their third appearance in the 7s final in the last four years. That championship pedigree is unmatched by any other program over that span.
 
The triumph is even more significant because it comes just weeks after the team claimed the CRAA Division I 15s National Championship with a dominant 40-14 win over BYU on April 11 in Sacramento. Life University's 2025-26 campaign stands out as one of the most dominant in recent collegiate women's rugby history.
 
What makes this weekend truly extraordinary is that it showcased the incredible depth and unity of the entire Life University program. While the core national championship squad was competing in Indianapolis, the rest of the squad traveled to Austin, Texas, for the USA Rugby Women's Division I Club Gulf Coast Super Regional Playoffs. In their first year entering the TRU Conference, the team won the conference title and then delivered a commanding 57-19 victory over the Houston sHARCs in the Gulf Coast Regional Playoff on April 25. After a grueling 14-hour bus ride there and back, they advanced Life University to the USA Rugby D1 Club Final Four for the first time in program history.
 
This simultaneous success on the same weekend, winning a CRAA 7s national title in Indianapolis while winning both a conference championship and a regional playoff in Austin, highlights the remarkable strength and depth of the Life University program. Every player and every squad contributed to the success, proving that the Running Eagles are truly greater than the sum of their parts.
 
To reach the 7s pinnacle in Indianapolis, the Eagles had to overcome significant adversity. They opened with a tough pool-stage loss to Harvard but bounced back strong. In the knockout rounds, they defeated last year's national champions, Dartmouth, 24-12 in the quarterfinals and Army 33-17 in the semifinals.
 
In the championship final against old rivals Lindenwood, Life started three freshmen in the lineup and was forced to pivot multiple times after losing two key players to injury. Despite those setbacks, and playing shorthanded with two yellow cards in the second half, the team adapted brilliantly, changed game plans on the fly, and sealed the win in overtime with a decisive try from Azhinaye Barner. With Hattie Greenwood winning tournament MVP

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"This group embodied everything we stand for at Life University," said Director of Women's Rugby Ryszard Chadwick. "Injuries, cards, an early loss, constant adjustments, and even splitting the squad across the country with long travel, they handled it all. Everyone contributed, everyone stayed connected, and the depth and resilience of this program is unmatched. To win in both competitions on the same weekend is something truly special. And we're not done yet."
 
The 2026 CRAA 7s championship is the latest chapter in the Running Eagles' dynasty of excellence. With national titles across multiple formats this spring, a TRU Conference title, a Gulf Coast Regional title, and the historic opportunity to add a first-ever USA Rugby D1 Club crown in the coming weeks, Life University continues to set the standard for women's rugby in America.