When the referee called “last play” at the CRAA 7s championship game, women’s rugby’s seniors gathered together for one last scrum. Seconds away from national glory, the team took a moment to soak it all in.
“For a second, it felt like the world paused,” Sia Meni ’25 said. “We all felt this quiet, powerful moment of togetherness over a shared purpose and legacy that felt so fulfilling.”
Meni and her teammates executed the scrum smoothly, as they had all season. Seconds later, the final whistle blew: the Big Green was national champions.
On Sunday, May 3, Dartmouth women’s rugby took home the CRAA 7s national championship to cap off their undefeated 13-0 7s season. Going head-to-head with Life University in the final in Indianapolis, Ind., Dartmouth shut down the Running Eagles in a 31-0 rout.
The CRAA 7s championship consists of six 14-minute games. According to head coach Katie Dowty, the tournament structure requires “really good habits around recovery” and playing the “long game” to save energy for each match.
“You need all 15 players on your roster to contribute as many minutes as they can throughout the six games, so that in that final match you are the team with the most gas in the tank,” Dowty said.
The squad started strong with a try less than one minute into the game, scored by Vasiti Turagavou ’28 and assisted by Katelyn Walker ’26. In the next seven minutes, Annie Henrich ’28, Paola Arredondo Almeida ’27 and Walker also found the try zone to make it 24-0. At the 11:38 mark, Walker, assisted by Sadie Schier ’25, scored another try with Henrich hitting the conversion to put Dartmouth at 31-0. They maintained that score for the rest of the game, securing a statement victory to cap off a statement season.
Walker said the first early try was important to create momentum for the rest of play time.
“We scored in the first 30 seconds, which really set a great tone for the rest of the game,” Walker said. “Our energy didn’t really dip throughout.”
According to Henrich, the team’s strategy was to “play fast, play to [the team’s] strengths and apply pressure on defense.”
A strong defense was integral to Dartmouth’s success, according to Walker.
“Everyone has put a lot of work into personal strength and conditioning to be able to handle one-on-one tackles so that we can trust each other,” Walker said.
Alongside physical training, Walker discussed how building “trust and connection” was also integral to their win.
“When our connections with each other are solid, we can defend any team,” she said.
Meni said that the team prepared for “high-pressure” moments, so that they would be prepared for the intensity of the championship.
“Coach often says that in high-pressure moments, you don’t magically rise to the occasion but you fall to your preparation,” Meni said. “We approached each practice with that in mind, pushing each other beyond our comfort zones, simulating game-day intensity and holding ourselves to a championship standard long before we got to the tournament.”
In addition to intense preparation throughout the season, Dowty also emphasized the “great leaders” on the team and the supportive environment the athletes developed throughout the season.
“We have worked hard to create a good team culture this year,” Walker said. “Ending it on a win means a lot.”
Walker was awarded Player of the Match for the championship game thanks to her pair of tries and all-around performance. In an interview with The D, she stressed her gratitude for her teammates.
“Everyone contributed throughout the season and across the whole weekend to get to that last game, where we could just play with our hearts,” Walker said.
Being the final game for the seniors, the team’s victory was also bittersweet. Henrich added that securing the championship provided the opportunity to “honor the ’25s with a final win.”
“I was really happy that we were able to win for our seniors because they have given so much to our team,” Henrich said.
According to Henrich, this victory provided “fresh excitement” for the team and demonstrated their ability to “push” themselves. Players hope that this success lays the groundwork for even more triumphs in the future.
“It was an awesome achievement, but we’re even more excited about where it tees us up for fall,” Dowty added.
