Women’s Rugby Clinches Spot in NIRA Championship Final

The No. 2 Harvard women’s rugby team marked the beginning of postseason play with a bang, toppling No. 3 Army to catapult it into the NIRA Championship final match against Dartmouth next weekend.

Army (5-2) was touted to be a difficult foe for the home team, as the squad came into the fixture already logging two wins in November – one tough matchup against LIU that went in favor of Army 53-42, and second against service academy rival Navy, 41-0.

Among the semifinalists, the Black Knights are the only team in the bracket that the Crimson has yet to face this year in the regular season. Although this game marks the first time these two teams have met in 2024, the all-time record between the two programs, standing at 6-4-1, highlights the historic competitiveness of this fixture.

Regardless of the all-time scorecard, Harvard will look to rely on the mature stature of its starting 15, many of whom participated in last year’s victory that saw the Crimson defeat Army in dominant fashion 45-3.

Harvard has proved itself time and time again this season with five wins under its belt, the most recent of which was the result of the Crimson offense being able to pick apart Navy’s defense to defeat the Midshipmen 74-7, and secure its place in this NIRA semifinal.

Senior fullback Chloe Headland kicked off the game in her typical dramatic fashion, eliciting cheers from an enthusiastic home crowd at Mignone Field.

While the senior star got things going for the Crimson, it was Army that ultimately drew first blood.

While play went back and forth through the midfield, it wasn’t until the seventh minute that the Black Knights were able to capitalize on a dropped ball by Harvard that saw Army get higher territory, and notch the first try on the scoreboard.

A quick reply came from junior wing Lennox London in the 13th minute in the form of the Crimson’s first try of the game, with a successful conversion from Headland to put Harvard into the lead.

Not only was the match crucial in ensuring the team’s survival in the postseason, but it also marked a milestone from London who broke her own program record, which she set last year, by tallying her 17th try in the 15s season. This accolade highlights the wing’s consistency and formidable scoring ability, which will be crucial as the team heads into a tough battle against Dartmouth.

“It felt really special. I really think that the fact that I can score speaks to how hard the team works to get the ball out wide. You know, I just kind of walk in. So it's just really great. It just shows how hard we're working to play good rugby,” London said.

With 19 minutes to go in the first half, and momentum leaning clearly in favor of the Crimson, it was only a matter of time before the squad would add another try to its count. Headland took it to the endzone herself again, finding a gap between the posts that allowed her to convert her own try and shoot the squad ahead by a margin of 14-5.

The Crimson was able to consistently manage a patient Army attack and regain possession of the ball with its lockdown defense. While the game continued to be decided on the transition plays in the middle of the field, with each team regaining possession on loose balls, having successful steals, and attempting breakaways, neither team was able to find the try zone.

This deadlock lasted until the final seconds of the half when a missed high ball for Harvard led to the Black Knights finding a try and the conversion to see out the half with the score uncomfortably tight at 14-12 in Harvard’s favor.

“We knew the second half was going to be competitive. So just, you know, knowing that we need to be patient and keep playing with that tempo would be hard for them to keep up with,” said Harvard Head Coach Mel Denham. “We talked a little bit about our counter attack that was looking really great, so continuing to do that, and then just looking at the edges and getting the ball to space a little bit more.”

Early in the second half Army attempted to take the lead by opting to kick from a central angle only three minutes in. The kick narrowly missed the posts, keeping the Crimson ahead by two points, but a collective gasp could be felt in the stands as Harvard’s lead was almost blown.

The scoring drought lasted another seven minutes until senior hooker Carly Lehman was able to make it over the line. Headland added the extra points, continuing her conversion streak, although this time from a tight angle that extended the Crimson’s lead to a more comfortable nine point difference, 21-12.

“It's always a privilege having those extra two points. It really is a game changer, and it's a privilege to be trusted with that responsibility,” Headland said. “And when you're on, you're on, and you feel it, so you just got to be happy that you're able to contribute no matter what, whether it's tackles, whether it's points whether it's kicks you know everyone does their part and I'm grateful that I was able to do mine”

Junior outside back Victoria Stanley, who replaced Headland late in the game after she was pulled off the field with an ankle injury, intercepted an Army pass and took the ball to the try zone, covering an explosive 10 yards to make her first try of the game extend the score to 26-12.

This lead did not last for long though, with the Black Knights closing the gap with three minutes to play, and narrowing the Crimson’s buffer to just a seven point lead, which put the pressure on Harvard to hold out defensively for the final minutes of the game.

The compact, cohesive, and commanding back line of the Crimson was able to show the ball out of play in the last seconds of the game, and defend Mignone Field.

With the victory, Harvard will take on the other semifinal hero, Dartmouth, who beat Brown in its own matchup. The contest between the two teams will be a rematch of last year’s championship game, which went in favor of Harvard by a score of 20-12.

Denham highlighted the necessity of continuing the team’s positive momentum going into the final.

“At this point, we don't do anything different than we have been doing. It's more about just kind of continuing to fine tune,” Denham said.