2025-26 Women's Rugby Season Recap

• The Life University Women's Rugby program posted a combined 30-2 overall record during the 2025-26 season, claiming three national championships in three separate divisions of play. 
• The program picked up its first D1 Championship with a dominant run, taking down Standford in the semifinals before pulling away from BYU in the championship match 40-14.  
• Later in April, the team split up as one contingent hit the road for Austin, Texas for the team's Club Super Regionals while a smaller contingent of Running Eagles traveled to Indianapolis for a chance at the 7s National Championship. 
• The Club Team earned a win over the Houston sHARCs while 7s crew beat long-standing rival Lindenwood in the CRAA 7s National Championship game 17-12. 

• Early in the Fall, Life University Women’s Rugby announced its acceptance into USA Rugby’s Women’s Division 1 (WD1) Club Competition through the Texas Rugby Union in collaboration with the Carolina Rugby Union, creating a groundbreaking dual-pathway model for the program.

• The announcement allowed the Running Eagles to continue competing in CRAA Division 1 College Rugby while also entering the nation’s premier women’s club rugby competition.

• The move expanded competitive opportunities for student-athletes by providing access to both collegiate and senior-level club competition within Life U’s high-performance training environment.

• The dual-pathway structure increased elite-level fixtures, enhanced player development opportunities, and created a clearer pathway from collegiate rugby to national-level competition.

• USA Rugby, CRAA, the Texas Rugby Union, and the Carolina Rugby Union supported the initiative, recognizing its potential impact on the growth of women’s rugby nationwide.

• The announcement reinforced Life U’s commitment to athlete development through integrated coaching, strength and conditioning, medical support, tactical training, and academic resources.

• The addition of WD1 competition positioned Life University as a leader in the evolution of women’s rugby and helped establish a stronger framework for the future growth of the sport in the United States.

Full Release

• Life University opened the fall campaign with an undefeated 8-0 record, outscoring opponents 632-40 and averaging 79 points per match.

• The Running Eagles began the season with dominant victories over New York Rugby Club (113-0), Penn State (82-7), Atlanta 2.0 Selects (40-5), and Philadelphia Rugby Football Club (71-3), before adding wins over Southern Nazarene (85-0) and NOVA (74-5).

• A key moment of the fall came in the Upstate Challenge Cup, where Life U defeated Peaks Rugby Academy, 45-15, to claim the trophy.

• The team closed the fall slate in emphatic fashion with a season-high 122-0 victory over Dallas Quins.

• Life U recorded four shutouts, held seven of eight opponents to 15 points or fewer, and scored at least 40 points in every contest, showcasing the program's depth and consistency throughout the fall season.

The Life University Women’s Rugby program put together one of the most successful spring campaigns in program history, capturing three national championships while compiling an impressive record against top competition from across the country.

The Running Eagles opened the spring with victories over the Houston SHARCs (36-12), Queens University of Charlotte (55-17), and BYU (95-7) before closing the regular season with additional wins over Houston SHARCs (116-0) and Austin Valkyries (28-0).

In postseason play, Life continued its dominance. The Running Eagles defeated Stanford (125-7) in the CRAA Semifinals to advance to the championship match. There, Life secured the CRAA Division I National Championship with a commanding 40-14 victory over BYU, claiming the program's first title of the spring.

The success continued in Tropical 7s competition. Life earned wins over Canada Misfits (26–10), Brown (19–17), Long Island University (51–5), Penn State (27–0), Brown (28–5), and Harvard (12–7) before falling to Trinity Western University (12–10) in the championship match.

At the CRAA National 7s Championships, Life proved to be among the nation’s best. The Running Eagles dropped their opening match to Harvard (12–7) before responding with victories over Davenport and Dartmouth (24–12). Life then faced Army in the semifinals, earning a spot in the championship match with a 33–17 win. The Running Eagles went on to defeat Lindenwood (17–12) in the final to secure the CRAA 7s National Championship.

Life concluded its remarkable season at the Club National Championships with a pair of dominant postseason performance, defeating NOVA (37–12) in the semifinals and the Utah Vipers (69–12) in the championship match to capture the Club National Championship and complete a historic championship trifecta.