Ignatius Saves Best for Last in Ohio 7s
For the fourth time in a row St. Ignatius is the Rugby Ohio boys 7s champion team.
In previous years the final has often been a difficult affair. Ignatius lost on the last play of the game against St. Edward back in 2021. They were pushed very hard in the mud against St. Xavier two years ago. It never seems to be as simple as it could be for the favorites.
This year, the threats came at every turn. Rugby Ohio's championship tournament was a full bracket format, with the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. There was no pool play, so if you start poorly, you might find yourself playing for 5th.
In the opener against Moeller Ignatius had to weather some difficulty, as a physical and motivated Moeller side worked to punish Ignatius knock-ons.
West Coast 7s Shines in Round 2
It was a very successful 2nd leg of the West Coast 7s Saturday in Palo Alto, and a good reminder also of how strong a rugby venue Stanford University is.
Cal won the men's collegiate bracket, and really looked quite good in doing it. More on that in a bit.
The women's collegiate bracket was a round-robin and going into the final round Stanford was in a very strong position. Wins over Cal Maritime, Sac State, and Cal (the last one just 15-12) put them at 3-0. Cal Poly lost 17-14 to Cal in their opening match before beating Sacramento State, and Cal Maritime. Cal also beat Cal Maritime.
So that all set up the final round of matches. Cal beat Sac State, while Stanford was surprised but a hard-charging Cal Poly team 19-17.
Panther Rugby Academy Names Richard Vernon to Board
The Panther Rugby Academy (PRA) has announced the appointment of Richard Vernon, co-founder and coach of Cavemen Rugby in American Fork, Utah, to its Board of Directors.
The Board unanimously approved the expansion of its membership to include Vernon, whose experience and leadership will broaden the Academy’s reach not only in Utah but also in other Western United States. As a BOD Member, he can help guide PRA’s future growth in and around Utah.
Now is the Time to Apply for the Nelson Scholarship
The application window for the 2026 Nelson College Scholarship is open for another eight weeks.
The US Rugby Foundation, in conjunction with Nelson College in Nelson, New Zealand, has been running this scholarship program for three years now.
During that time seven young male student-athletes have been able to study at Nelson College during the Southern Hemisphere fall and winter, spring and summer in the US, and also play rugby at a high level.
The US Rugby Foundation is now accepting applications from US high school male rugby players who are in good standing with their rugby team and their school. Applicants must have been born in 2008 or later.
In 2025 three scholarships were awarded, but overall one or two scholarships is the expectation for 2026.
IRANZ to Hold Camp in Arizona in December
Signups are ow open for the player camp at the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand (IRANZ) in Arizona.
IRANZ will hold an event in the Phoenix area with coaches Wayne Taylor, Mark Hammett, and Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Taylor has served as Head of Athletic Performance for the Romanian national team, Isuzu Southern Kings in South Africa, Japan RFU, and the Sunwolves in Super Rugby, and he has coached at the international level for decades.
Hammett was capped 29 times at hooker for the All Blacks. He played for the Canterbury Crusaders in Super Rugby and has coached in Super Rugby with the Hurricanes and the Highlanders.
Milner-Skudder is a former All Black and Maori All Black. He played for the Hurricanes and Highlanders in Super Rugby, as well as Toulon in France. He is a backs positional specialist for IRANZ.
Boys HS Nationals-Watch for Application Window
The Boys HS Rugby National Championships will begin accepting applications in January for the 2026 tournament and teams are encouraged to start planning.
The event, which has been run by a private committee of coaches and HS rugby leaders, has been held in its current format since 2008, with a HS Club championship, a Single-School championship, and a Tier II championship.
Who Is Making an Impact in Fall HS Sevens?
We're taking a quick look around the Boys HS 7s scene this fall.
As fans know, different regions address 7s differently. Some play 7s somewhat recreationally, some have a very defined season with a championship at the end, and some don't play at all.
Here's a look at what we can tell you.
Rugby PA
LaSalle College HS went into the third week of competition unbeaten, but they found themselves facing a depleted but unfazed Berks County team and lost. Berks had shown up missing several regular starters, and opened the day with a 17-0 loss to St. Joseph's Prep. However, when their coaches just told the players to relax, enjoy the day, and play to their strengths, they started to win.
With Bryan Henry powering through tacklers and offload, and with some savvy youngsters working hard in support, they fronted up well against LaSalle.
Men D2 College Rankings 2025 Week 2
Before we get into the new rankings we have to acknowledge a mistake.
With the hybrid leagues where teams from D2 and D3 are mixed occasionally we lose focus. We knocked it on last week (and exacerbated it with a video) saying Loyola of Maryland was D2. They are D3. They are a very good team in D3. They're not in D2. So, sorry about that. We'll take a close look at D3 this week later on. But right now, they get moved out of our D2 Top 40, of course.
So do a few other teams. There is a lot of guesswork in the opening weeks, and player turnover is a massive factor in how teams reload each year. Sometimes we find out how that went after a few games.
Southern California Joins Top School Leagues to Create SoCal Premier
The SoCal Interscholastic Rugby Federation (SCIRF) and Southern California Youth Rugby (SoCal) have developed a new Premier High School League for the 2025-26 season.
The “Southern California Premier High School League” marks the first time Southern California’s top eight single high school rugby teams will compete under one banner in many years, paving the wave for rugby’s recognition as a CIF-sanctioned sport.
In the last few years, since 2017, these two groups, which include some of the stronger single-school teams in the nation, have played separately. Sometimes there have been crossover games, but nothing official.
Montana HS Invitational Set for 2nd Year
Montana is set to host its 2nd Annual Montana Invitational High School Rugby Tournament, an exciting tournament bringing together high school teams from across the country.
The tournament will take place on Friday April 24th & Saturday April 25th, 2026 at Bozeman Sports Park Complex.
The tournament will feature three high school boys divisions (elite, premier and open) and two high school girls divisions (elite & premier).
This tournament, organized by Montana Institute Of Sport and supported by the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce TBID Grant, is designed to promote a higher standard of play in the region, provide opportunities to be seen for our junior national teams and serve as a college showcase.
Applications for Nelson Scholarship are Now Open
The United States Rugby Foundation, in partnership with the Graham Downes International Rugby Scholarship Fund, is proud to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 Nelson College Rugby Scholarships.
This makes the fourth consecutive year that US high school rugby players will have an opportunity to attend Nelson College in Nelson, New Zealand, a boys high school globally recognized for its elite and highly acclaimed rugby program.
This scholarship is awarded to exceptional scholar-athletes who demonstrate academic excellence, maturity, superior athletic ability, high-level rugby performance, and a strong potential for growth, leadership and character development.
Now's The Time to Look for that NXT Opportunity
Every coach will tell you that success is about preparation – that is why we train and put in the hard hours of tackling, mauling, and those lung-burning broncos.
Now fast-forward yourself six months and think about what you’ll be doing in December. The fall rugby season will be winding down, winter setting in, and most players will hang up their boots and retreat indoors. But for those serious about elevating their game, the off-season presents a golden opportunity to go again — one that NXT Rugby’s Winter Camps uniquely offer.
College Commits List #6
Here is our 6th college commits list.
Davenport women, Cal men, and Loyola, Maryland men are heavy in this update.
Connect with college rugby programs through the Next Phase Rugby app. Register at NextPhaseRugby.com, download the app, confirm your email, and then log into the app to set up your profile. Use the discount code USAYHS to get 25% off the premium membership for bigger and better features!
See the other players we've listed here: 2025 Commits - Updated Full List
Loyola University New Orleans Announces Varsity Rugby Programs
Loyola University of New Orleans is announcing that it will field varsity rugby programs for men and women, and have hired former NOLA Gold General Manager Ryan Fitzgerald as a Director of Rugby.
Fitzgerald will be spending the 2025-26 season recruiting and building his team and his coaching staff; the programs will be able to offer scholarships and start competition in the fall of 2026.
"I'm really looking forward to this amazing opportunity with Loyola New Orleans and Rugby," Fitzgerald said in the team's announcement. "Truly a first-class University with great people that give back to their community on and off the field. We will recruit and build this Rugby program the same way."
A meet-and-greet with Fitzgerald in the Hall of Fame Room of the University Sports Complex will be announced at a later date.
