The United States fell to Japan and France on the opening day of the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens in Stellenbosch, South Africa, with a roster featuring players from across the American college rugby system.
The United States women’s university sevens team opened the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens with a pair of losses Friday at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
USA fell 26–12 to Japan in its opening match before France defeated the Americans 25–5 later in the day.
The results leave USA 0–2 in Pool A heading into Saturday’s final pool match against host South Africa.
The record, however, comes with some important context.
USA faced the two teams that emerged as Pool A’s unbeaten sides on Day 1. France and Japan both finished Friday 2–0, while USA and South Africa both went 0–2.
For American college rugby followers, there is another significant storyline. The 12-player U.S. squad features athletes with backgrounds across several major college programs, providing a direct connection between the FISU championship and the American collegiate game.
Japan Hands USA Opening Defeat
USA began its tournament against Japan and suffered a 26–12 defeat.
Japan then defeated host South Africa 24–12 later Friday to complete the opening day with two victories.
The two results gave Japan 50 points scored and 24 conceded, producing a +26 points differential heading into Saturday.
France Pulls Away From USA
USA returned to the field later Friday to face France.
France held a 15–5 halftime advantage before keeping the Americans scoreless in the second half and adding another 10 points to complete a 25–5 victory.
France had opened its tournament with an emphatic 36–0 victory over South Africa.
That made France the most dominant side in Pool A on Day 1.
Through two matches, the French scored 61 points while conceding only five, producing a remarkable +56 points differential.
Pool A After Day 1
France and Japan occupy the top two positions after both finished Friday 2–0. USA and South Africa enter Saturday still searching for their first victory.
| Team | W-L | PF | PA | Diff. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1🇫🇷 France | 2-0 | 61 | 5 | +56 | 6 |
| 2🇯🇵 Japan | 2-0 | 50 | 24 | +26 | 6 |
| 3🇺🇸 USA | 0-2 | 17 | 51 | -34 | 0 |
| 4🇿🇦 South Africa | 0-2 | 12 | 60 | -48 | 0 |
USA enters Saturday in third place. The Americans hold a -34 points differential, ahead of South Africa at -48, before the two teams meet to complete Pool A play.
A Difficult Opening Draw for USA
An 0–2 start doesn’t tell the entire story of USA’s opening day.
The Americans were immediately matched against the two teams that went on to establish themselves at the top of Pool A.
France’s performance was particularly impressive. It conceded only five points across 28 minutes of rugby against South Africa and USA, while Japan also went unbeaten with victories over both USA and the tournament hosts.
USA and South Africa therefore arrive at Saturday’s meeting in very similar situations.
Both are 0–2.
Both have already faced France and Japan.
And both have one final opportunity to earn a pool-stage victory before the tournament progresses.
USA does hold the better points differential entering the game, -34 compared with South Africa’s -48, but the Americans will not want to depend on tournament tiebreak procedures.
A victory provides the clearest route to finishing ahead of the hosts in Pool A.
American College Rugby Runs Through the USA Squad
The FISU World University Championship is different from a traditional college tournament.
Players represent their countries, rather than their individual universities.
But the USA roster provides a fascinating look at the college rugby pathways feeding players toward higher levels of the American game.
The official FISU roster contains 12 players between the ages of 22 and 24.
USA Women’s FISU Rugby Sevens Squad
The 12-player USA squad features athletes with college rugby backgrounds across NIRA, CRAA, NCR and other collegiate programs.
| Player | Age | College Rugby Background | Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivia Baptiste | 22 | Brown | NIRA |
| Emma Buxton | 23 | UCLA | CRAA |
| Alyssa Cunningham | 23 | Sacred Heart | NIRA |
| Morgan Cunningham | 24 | Brown | NIRA |
| Cameron Fields | 22 | Harvard | NIRA |
| Leah Lockerman | 23 | Texas Tech | NCR |
| Merrin McSorely | 23 | Penn State | CRAA |
| Kate Muldoon | 22 | Brown | NIRA |
| Julia Murray | 22 | Brown | NIRA |
| Kerena Tinoisamoa | 23 | Central Washington | NIRA-era |
| Paula Vincze | 23 | Harvard | NIRA |
| Vivianne Wright | 22 | Central Washington / Southern Nazarene | College Rugby |
College rugby background: These affiliations describe where the players developed or competed in college rugby and do not necessarily represent their current club or team.
That distinction matters because several players have completed their college careers and progressed into senior rugby.
Strong NIRA Connection
The NIRA connection is particularly noticeable.
Brown has four players with Brown rugby backgrounds on the USA roster: Olivia Baptiste, Morgan Cunningham, Kate Muldoon and Julia Murray.
Harvard adds Cameron Fields and Paula Vincze, while Alyssa Cunningham came through Sacred Heart.
Central Washington also features in the college histories of Kerena Tinoisamoa and Vivianne Wright, although college affiliations and competition structures have changed over the course of some players’ careers.
Beyond those NIRA connections, Emma Buxton has a UCLA background, Merrin McSorely came through Penn State and Leah Lockerman played at Texas Tech.
The result is a national university squad drawing players from multiple branches of the sometimes-fragmented American college rugby landscape.
For Rugby Fan Central readers following NIRA,CRAA and NCR, the FISU tournament provides another opportunity to see players from those pathways competing together under a USA banner.
From College Rugby to the Senior Game
Several members of the squad have already continued beyond college rugby.
That makes this FISU roster particularly interesting from a player-development perspective.
Rather than being composed exclusively of athletes currently appearing on college rosters, it includes players at different points along the transition from university rugby into the senior game.
The championship therefore offers another competitive environment for athletes who developed through American college programs while remaining eligible for university international competition.
USA Faces South Africa Saturday
USA now turns its attention to the tournament hosts.
USA vs South Africa
Saturday, September 5
11:57 a.m. SAST / 4:57 a.m. CT
Danie Craven Stadium
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Both teams enter the match 0–2.
South Africa lost 34–0 to France before falling 24–12 to Japan Friday.
USA enters with the slightly stronger scoring record, having produced 17 points compared with South Africa’s 12, and holds the better points differential at -34 compared with -48.
Immediately before the USA game, France and Japan meet at 11:35 a.m. SAST / 4:35 a.m. CT, with both teams entering that contest unbeaten.
Those two matches will complete Pool A play.
What Is the FISU World University Rugby Sevens Championship?
The FISU World University Championships provide international competition for university-level athletes, with national university teams representing their countries rather than individual schools.
The 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens runs September 4–6 in Stellenbosch, South Africa, with competition taking place at Danie Craven Stadium.
The tournament brings together men’s and women’s national university teams from around the world.
For USA, it also provides a rare international setting where players developed through different American college rugby structures can compete together on one national university team.
Watch USA vs South Africa
USA continues Pool A play against host South Africa on Saturday morning at the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens.
FISU is streaming the championship through its World University Sport platform.
USA defeated South Africa 31–12 before facing Australia in the quarterfinals, with Emma Buxton scoring five tries across Saturday’s two matches.
READ THE DAY 2 REPORT →The tournament continues through Sunday, September 6, when the final placement and medal matches will be decided.
Rugby Fan Central will continue tracking the USA women and the American college rugby connections throughout the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens.
