Women’s Rugby Ends Regular Season Looking Dominant, Eyes Army in NIRA Playoffs

Harvard women's rugby (5-1-1, 1-1 Ivy) finished off an impressive regular season with a 74-7 win over Navy at the end of October, taking down the Midshipmen at home in Cambridge. The team will now enter the NIRA playoffs, starting Saturday, as a true contender to take home the national championship.

Returning home after spending the weekend before on the road in North Carolina — where it picked up a win on the road against Queens University of Charlotte — the Crimson took on Navy the afternoon of Oct. 26, reprising a matchup that it hadn’t encountered since 2016. The Crimson entered with a 1-1 all-time record in 15s matches against the Midshipmen.

Right from the noon kick-off, Harvard started quickly, with the first try coming with less than minutes on the clock gone. It was freshman forward Eseta Pale who was able to drive with the ball through the Midshipmens’ defense.

The second try came only a couple of minutes later, with senior fullback Chloe Headland making a dash down the right wing and offloading to junior wing Lennox London to carry it the final yards to the try line.

The incessant tide of tries continued to swamp the Navy defense, who struggled to retain the ball and find any defensive cracks to exploit. The first half saw senior center PK Vincze, junior fullback Tiahna Padilla, and Headland all find the try zone, with London also getting another two tries for Harvard, making the score 45-0 entering halftime.

The success on the right wing continued, and with freshman back Dana Greer replacing London at half-time, it was her turn to get on the score sheet, not once but twice. This game against Navy was the freshman’s first multi-try game of her college career.

“To have everyone celebrate your success is a feeling like no other,” Greer said after the game. “The smiles from the team and encouraging words from the coaches made me feel like I really belonged on this team and I was just happy to be in that moment.”

The Crimson found several different ways to score, including by turning defense into offense with a notable interception deep in the defensive half by Padilla, leading her to the try zone for the second time in the game. Even though Navy was able to claw back seven points on the board, the opposing team’s attempt was not going to make a dent in the ever-growing lead of Harvard.

The squad’s depth was highlighted by the addition of new names to the score sheet even late in the game. Junior Nafanua Malietoa Fitisemanu and sophomore prop Sydney Gottesman achieved five points each. The versatility of the Crimson’s players was also shown in their ability to step up into new roles in the second half, with Greer becoming the kicker and completing a conversion. Greer spoke about the pressure-filled experience of stepping in as kicker.

“My first kick was after scoring my first try of the game,” Greer said. “It was hard to get my breathing under control and focus on the kick. When I made it, it was such an amazing moment of happiness and pride in myself, and from the team and coaches.”

The final score of 74-7 — the third time that the Crimson has blown out a team by 60 or more — should give the squad confidence as it closes out regular season play. This season Harvard has only suffered one narrow loss, and it is now coming off the back of two commanding wins as it looks toward post-season play.

There was much to celebrate on the day, as alongside the Crimson securing the dominant victory, the game was also the team's annual pride game, signaling the team's commitment to inclusivity.

This weekend, the postseason will start and the Crimson will have a chance to lay claim to the NIRA championship. In the semifinals, Harvard will face off against Army, with the winner set to play in the finals against the winner of Brown vs. Dartmouth. Both Ivy League opponents played Harvard close this season — with Brown falling to the Crimson 18-12 but the Big Green narrowly besting Harvard 26-19.

The NIRA playoffs will kick off this coming Saturday, Nov. 16 at 12:00 p.m. in Cambridge, with streaming available on ESPN+.