Rugby Places Third in National 7s Tournament After Heartbreaking Semifinal Match

Harvard arrived in Indianapolis, Ind., looking to secure its second national championship title of the year during a weekend of rigorous competition at the Rugby 7s National Tournament. The first day consisted of group play, and the second day of finals play. In group play, the team faced Life College and Davenport College. On the final day, the Crimson fell to Lindenwood in overtime of the semifinal match. Harvard bounced back in the battle for third place, beating Army 17-10.

The first game against Life proved the most challenging within the Crimson’s group stage. Life got on the scoreboard first, but freshman Sana’a Lunon responded quickly to tie the game at 7-7. In the second half, the only try was scored by senior Cameron Fields, who secured the first win of the day for Harvard, 12-7.

“I think it’s always fun, especially with them, because they are not in our division, so seeing how things are going to match up,” Lunon said on playing Life in the first outing of the tournament.

“Coach is definitely telling us to play our own game, be confident in ourselves, and everything is going to flow when we get out there, which is what we were trying to work towards when we played them,” the rookie added.

In game two, Harvard took on Davenport, which posed minimal challenges for the Crimson. Harvard’s wide players were able to attack at speed, tallying up tries to accumulate a 17-0 lead by halftime. In the second half, Fields and sophomore Josephine Mignone continued to put points on the board, each adding two more tries. The Crimson finished the game in dominant style, winning 41-0. The victory propelled Harvard into the quarterfinal round as the number one seed.

The Crimson recorded a similarly clinical victory over St. Mary’s to end the first day with an undefeated record. The team’s versatility was on full display, with six different try scorers in the quarterfinal matchup.

“I definitely think coach has had a fun season. We have so much depth on our team. It’s making it difficult for her to know who to even put in positions, but I also think we have a lot of adaptability and we can wear a lot of different hats on our team.” Lunon reflected, discussing the depth of Harvard’s roster.

In the national semi-finals, the Crimson came up just short against Lindenwood. In the opening minutes of the game, the Lions made a fast break, spotting a gap in Harvard’s defense. Lunon put up a valiant chase, putting in a final tackle before the line, but it was not enough to stop Lindenwood. Another Lion was close enough to secure the ball and score the first try of the game.

Harvard responded immediately with Lunon driving at the Lindenwood defense, and senior Victoria Stanley overlapping to receive the ball and streak down the flank.

After the Lions pulled ahead again to make the game 10-5, the Crimson demonstrated its resilience, immediately testing its opponents’ defense. Captain Tiahna Padilla, the Ma Sorensen Award Winner, weaved to evade a defender and was able to offload the ball to Stanley, who evened the score. Stanley’s try concluded an offensively impressive first half for both teams.

The second half was played predominantly in the Lindenwood defensive third, characterized by multiple turnovers. The best chance of the half was made by Harvard, with Fields making a scramble for the line. Neither team was able to break the deadlock, though, so regulation time ended with the score deadlocked at 10-10.

The semifinal game, therefore, went into sudden-death overtime, with a golden try rule. The Lions kicked off, but the Crimson missed the catch. In a moment of confusion, Harvard had a player sent off, penalized for playing the ball from an offside position. This provided the opportunity Lindenwood needed to break for the line and secure the spot in the national championship match.

The tournament was not over for Harvard, though, as it now had the opportunity to vie for third place. The Crimson took on Army in the third-place playoff. Harvard, utilizing the depth of its roster, remained resilient despite its semi-final heartbreak and was able to start strong, swinging the ball and breaking down the wing. Shortly after, it extended its lead to make the game 12-0. The Black Knights were able to tack on a try of their own before the break to make it 12-7.

After halftime, Army continued to inch closer to the Crimson on the scoreboard, remaining within threatening distance. However, Lunon won a three-quarter pitch foot race to the line to secure the contest for Harvard, 17-10.

This result marked the end of the 7s season for the Crimson. Despite not earning the national title, the team has not been without silverware this season, including the Ivy Championship and the Tropical 7s Plate. Harvard will now look forward to next fall as it aims to defend its title of 15s National Champions.

—Staff writer Rhiannon Stewart can be reached at [email protected].