Rugby Rolls Over Navy in Season Opener

You can beat them once, but a second win in a row is a little tougher to come by.

Late last season at the Varsity 7s Championships, the Harvard women’s rugby team suffered its first of three loses at the tournament to the Navy women. Even though the Crimson jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, the Midshipmen came back to beat Harvard.

Things ended a little differently this time around. The Crimson won its season opening match this weekend, beating Navy 32-7.

“It was a tough game,” junior captain Maya Learned said. “We drove nine hours [which] is really tough on your body. To come out after just a few weeks of practice to be able to do what we did...I was really proud of us.”

Though Learned was elected and served as captain during the 7s season this past spring, this was her first 15s game as captain. She was joined as on-field captain by senior Claire Collins.

“[Learned and Collins] contributed a lot in leadership and in keeping the team in the right mindset,” sophomore Caitlin Weigel said. “They just did a great job of being leaders by example.”

An important factor for the Crimson was the contributions of the more experienced players on the team. Collins opened scoring in both halves, tallying two tries on the day. Junior Haley Langan and 7s standout Weigel both recorded tries on the day as well.

“Claire had an incredible game,” Learned said. “She is able to control the field of play...to make herself get across that line. She’s been really fantastic. She’s really taking on a huge role in being a leader on the team.”

While the leadership and experience of the older players certainly helped Harvard, the newcomers were not to be outdone. Even with only a few weeks of practice under their belts, they provided a significant contribution. Min Kim, a sophomore who joined in the spring and therefore has yet to play true 15s rugby, scored a try to match Collins’ and Langan’s in the first half. Freshman Robyn Beese tallied the final score of the day.

“We have several girls coming in with a lot of experience…. We also have a whole new group of walk-ons” Learned said. “The level of excitement and willingness....creates a really good environment for success.”

That being said, class year goes out the window when the players step between the lines. After jumping to a 5-0 lead early in the game, Harvard retained the lead throughout the match. In fact, the Crimson never let Navy within one try after going up 10-0.

“Our work ethic is [a] big factor in our success,” Learned said. “Everyone was trying really hard on the pitch.”

That was evident early in the match. After Collins’ opening score, junior Langan and Kim each built on the early lead with a try apiece making the score 15-0.

Being the first game of the season, it wasn’t perfect. Though Harvard jumped out to an early lead, the Midshipmen cut into the Crimson lead by scoring and converting a try to make the score 15-7 just before halftime.

“We had quite a lot of handling errors, dropped balls and stuff,” Weigel said, “but that’s to be expected when it’s your first time playing with each other…you aren’t sure who’s running where or at what speed.”

Navy’s momentum wouldn’t last long, though. The Crimson shot out in the second half to extend its lead, riding the power of Collins to make the score 20-7. Weigel scored the lone conversion of the day for Harvard as she extended the Crimson’s lead to 20. Beese sealed the victory for Harvard in the final minutes, propelling the Crimson to an undefeated start.

—Staff writer W. Gant Player can be reached at wadeplayer@college.harvard.edu.