Harvard Rugby Holds Off Sacred Heart in Tense Season Opener

The defending three-time national champion, Harvard women’s rugby (1-0), held off Sacred Heart University (0-1) to take home a 26-24 win on Saturday afternoon. Despite a late surge, the Pioneers were no match for the Crimson’s defensive prowess, allowing it to open its 2026 season with a victory.

Harvard’s opening try came courtesy of a Sacred Heart mistake. A misplaced pass by the Pioneers sent the ball into touch and opened the door for the Crimson to drive it forward. In the end, it was sophomore Gemma Ogoke who, in the fourth minute, found the tryline to give Harvard an early lead.

Sacred Heart, though, was not interested in playing catch-up. Just three minutes later, a collapsed maul gave the Crimson a yellow card and the Pioneers a penalty try. Now level at 7-7, the two teams continued to battle it out, violently trading possession back and forth.

Neither team found the tryline again for nearly 15 minutes, as both sides fought for possession and territory. Driving down the right-hand side, Pioneer senior Carrie Coyer-Westerberg found the tryline to put the hosting squad ahead. Yet a missed conversion allowed the Crimson to stay within touching distance of Sacred Heart with much more time on the clock.

Not long after, sophomore Madelyn Hubbell responded for Harvard just before the half, using her three-on-four advantage to break through the Pioneers’defensive end. Sacred Heart was unable to pin down Hubbell, whose strong breakthrough run put the Crimson up 14-12 at the break.

“In the beginning, the first half, we had to take better care of the ball,” said Harvard’s head coach MelDenham. “We just talked about getting to halftime, taking care of the ball, building pressure through phases, and if we could do that, and just be patient, then we’d have opportunities to score.”

The team’s patience paid off in the second half. Senior Maya Hilger extended Harvard’s lead in the 51st minute after quick lateral ball movement saw her thread through the Sacred Heart defense. Less than seven minutes later, Hilger’s success was followed by a try from sophomore Sana’a Lunon.

The Pioneers, however, refused to let up. Coyer-Westerberg scored her second try of the day in the 78th minute, and senior Reese Torticill’s conversion cut the deficit to 26-19. Just two minutes later, Sacred Heart’s sophomore Maria-Jean Paulino also found the tryline to bring the Pioneers within two points.

Luckily for the Harvard faithful who made the trip to Fairfield, Conn., a missed conversion allowed the Crimson to hold onto its lead and secure the 26-24 win.

With significant departures from the Harvard squad’s roster, it was no surprise that there were some teething issues in the team’s season opener. The squad graduated several key contributors, including backline anchor Tiahna Pallida, who was named The Harvard Crimson’s 2026 Female Athlete of the Year and who led the team to three national championships during her tenure.

The strength of the underclassmen is evident, especially when nurtured by a team culture that encourages confidence.

I think the team has really taken them under their wing, and made sure that they feel confident going out there and playing, and just being a member of the team, just like anyone else,” Coach Denham said, reflecting on her rookies.

This Saturday at 12 p.m. EDT, the Crimson will kick off at Mignone Field to face its rival Brown in its first Ivy League battle of the season. Last year, Harvard dominated the Bears, beating them 47-8 - a performance it will hope to replicate.

“It’s a new chapter, right? A new legacy that that team gets to write,” said Denham.

“There’s a different energy, I think, that goes into those games.”

And with an Ivy League rival standing across from them this weekend, the stakes will only rise.

—Staff writer Matilda C. Genieser can be reached at [email protected].