Who Has the Must-Win Games in NIRA?

10.13.2026College Women

Army and SHU have must-win games coming up.

Author: Alex Goff

As expected, Navy took a Power Rankings hit, but not a massive one, and Army got a boost, but not a massive one, this past week in the NIRA Power Rankings.

With Navy losing to Harvard, the Power Rankings expected that and saw the metrics for Navy and for Harvard, for that matter, not change all that much. This was helped by Navy's second-half scoring binge which made the game closer.

Harvard Takes Early Control to Dismiss Navy in NIRA Clash

So in the NIRA Power Rankings, Harvard stayed #1 but actually dropped down because Navy scored 26 on the Crimson, driving up their points-allowed more than their points-for rose. So Harvard's Power Rankings slid a little bit, 18 points. Navy dropped 40 points.

The biggest riser was Army, up 51 points after a big win over Queens. And that's because the victory is balanced by a drop in the strength of schedule, as Queens is winless. Not to knock Queens, they can play, and if they played one of the higher-level club teams they would win comfortably, but in this context they are winless.

National Intercollegiate Rugby Association Women's NIRA DI Standings October 13, 2026

October 13, 2026

National Intercollegiate Rugby Association

This weekend, AIC plays Sacred Heart in a game that could very well decide which of these two makes the semifinals.

Brown is at Queens, and if Brown wins they will be back more within that 4th-8th group.

And, finally, Harvard will be at Lindenwood. Smarting from that road loss to Navy, Lindenwood will know to be difficult hosts against an unbeaten Harvard side that is just solid throughout.

The thing is, even if Lindenwood loses, they won't get hit too badly because the strength of schedule piece will still be there.

Almost more important for Lindenwood will be their game at Army October 24. So here are the games coming up:

10/17    AIC at Sacred Heart
10/17    Harvard at Lindenwood
10/18    Brown at Queens
10/24    Lindenwood at Army
10/24    Sacred Heart at Dartmouth
10/24    Queens at Navy
10/31    Harvard at AIC
10/31    Army at Navy
10/31    Dartmouth at Brown
11/1     Queens at AIC

If AIC beats Sacred Heart then they can target that makeup game against Queens for a place in the semis. A loss to Harvard shouldn't hurt them too much.

Army will need a good showing vs Lindenwood. Dartmouth will feel a lot more comfortable if they beat Sacred Heart. That game, for SHU, a team that lost to Harvard only 26-24, has to be one they target.