Cannibals, TOA, and Drua Lead Way Among Girls at NAI 7s

08.01.2026 - 08.02.2026HS Girls

Girls action NAI 7s 2026 Photo Alex Goff.

Author: Alex Goff

Earlier this high school season we at GRR attended the Friendship Cup and watched the United girls team in action.

This team, we were sure, would challenge for a national title, and while they didn't win, they did, indeed, challenge.

But with United as the basis, the Utah Cannibals certainly took care of business at the NAI 7s. Hard-hitting, powerful through tackles, and with ball skills, the Cannibals rolled to the Girls U18 Tier 1 title.

Their biggest rivals were certainly Majestics, the Utah-based team that has won this tournament before. But late on Friday the Cannibals beat the Majestics 35-5.

On Saturday, still in pool play (all six teams played each other and then the top two made the final), Belmont Shore played an excellent defensive game and spun the ball well. The Cannibals won, but it was close, 21-12.

But Belmont Shore's opening match on Friday had, it turned out, been the crucial one. That 28-12 loss for Shore meant Majestics ended pool play 5-1, and Belmont Shore 4-2. Belmont Shore went on to win 3rd via shutout. And not to be outdone, the Cannibals won via shutout, too, beating Majestics 28-0.

This was a good bracket. More teams had put their hands up wanting to compete at this elite level. it was a learning experience for some, and the heat and fitness demands started to catch up with some players.

For the Cannibals, it was all business, and they took care of it.

Girls competition at the 2026 NAI 7s. Photo Alex Goff.

NAI 7s U18 Girls Tier 1 Pool Matches
Belmont Shore 12-28 Majestics
Bitterroot Koa Wahine 0-36 Utah Cannibals
Iowa Hawkettes 10-24 Tucson Thunderbirds
Bitterroot Koa Wahine 7-32 Belmont Shore
Iowa Hawkettes 0-50 Majestics
Tucson Thunderbirds 10-35 Utah Cannibals
Belmont Shore 38-12 Iowa Hawkettes
Tucson Thunderbirds 17-17 Bitterroot Koa Wahine
Utah Cannibals 35-5 Majestics
Tucson Thunderbirds 0-39 Belmont Shore
Majestics 44-7 Bitterroot Koa Wahine
Utah Cannibals 50-0 Iowa Hawkettes
Belmont Shore U18G 12-21 Utah Cannibals
Majestics U18GE 46-0 Tucson Thunderbirds
Bitterroot Koa Wahine 22-29 Iowa Hawkettes

Placement Matches
5th-6th: Iowa Hawkettes 17-36 Bitterroot Koa Wahine
Bronze Medal: Belmont Shore 24-0 Tucson Thunderbirds
Final: Utah Cannibals 28-0 Majestics

In Tier 2 of the U18 competition, Westlake Drua edged SacAIR 21-15 in a final that was back and forth. Badger Rugby Academy brought an excellent group that held off Ronins 19-17 for 3rd.

U16s

The U16 final was a bit of an anticlimax as TOA AcademyMALOSI beat TOA Academy SEKI 36-0. It was certainly a testament to the success of the Idaho-based (but not exclusively Idaho) select program. In fact, the only teams to be unbeaten in pool play were the two TOA teams.

Sacramento Harlequins won Pool B but went 2-1 in doing so. TOA MALOSI had to get through Belmont Shore twice and a hard-hitting Provo side to make the final.

"They had some big girls so we had to make sure our tackles were good," said TOA captain Mallory Crawford. "And they had some speedy as well but we were speedy, too."

"I think we just have a really strong bond," added Ella Mahoney (who you will remember from her interview with GRR here). "We set up the family of our program and I think all the coaches just really bring us together."

It worked. A tense pool play win 24-21 over Belmont Shore put TOA in a good position and in the semis it was even closer, with TOA winning on a conversion 14-12. Belmont Shore let out their frustrations in the third-place game by beating the Sacramento Harlequins 55-0.

U14s

In the U14s, Utah Cannibals made it two championships with a dominant performance. They gave up just two tries in the three playoff games and in the final beat Provo 50-0.