National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) women’s rugby moves into October with six events on the schedule this weekend, led by two matches carrying the Playoff Series designation.
American International College (AIC) travels to Hanover for a major test against Dartmouth, while Frostburg State and Bowdoin meet at Vassar College in the weekend’s other Playoff Series matchup.
Elsewhere, La Salle hosts Navy’s sub-varsity side after three consecutive wins, Davenport visits Sacred Heart,West Chester welcomes Mount St. Mary’s and several developing programs gather at Emory & Henry on Sunday.
Here is what to watch across NIRA on October 3–4.
Week 4 NIRA Power Rankings
Published September 30, 2026. Rankings entering the October 3–4 weekend.
Current Power Rankings
| Rank | Institution | GP | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Power Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | 3 | 3 | 0 | 133 | 31 | +102 | 1.088 |
| 2 | American International College | 1 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 1.027 |
| 3 | Lindenwood University | 3 | 2 | 1 | 182 | 23 | +159 | 0.857 |
| 4 | Dartmouth College | 2 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 39 | +9 | 0.798 |
| 5 | US Military Academy | 2 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 58 | -26 | 0.753 |
| 6 | Sacred Heart University | 3 | 1 | 2 | 110 | 57 | +53 | 0.683 |
| 7 | US Naval Academy | 3 | 1 | 2 | 52 | 80 | -28 | 0.669 |
| 8 | Brown University | 3 | 1 | 2 | 33 | 157 | -124 | 0.632 |
| 9 | Queens University of Charlotte | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 172 | -160 | 0.402 |
Not Pursuing the XVs Championship Pathway
Week 4 NIRA Power Rankings published at 11:30 p.m. ET on September 30, 2026. Rankings are ordered by NIRA Power Rating.
AIC at Dartmouth
Saturday, October 3 · 4:00 p.m. ET
Brophy Field · Hanover, New Hampshire
Playoff Series
Watch: ESPN+
This is the headline game of the NIRA weekend.
AIC arrives in Hanover in its first season competing at the Division I level after establishing itself as a Division II power. The Yellow Jackets won NIRA Division II championships in 2021, 2024 and 2025 before stepping up for 2026.
They have already demonstrated that they can compete at the higher level.
AIC opened its fall campaign with a 32–17 victory over Navy on September 19, giving the Yellow Jackets an immediate Division I statement.
Dartmouth enters Saturday from a very different position.
The Big Green opened with a 41–8 victory over Army but have since lost 49–22 to Life University and 31–7 at defending NIRA champion Harvard.
That leaves Dartmouth 1–2 overall entering the weekend.
The programs have met five times previously, with Dartmouth holding a 3–2 series advantage, including a 3–0 record against AIC in Hanover.
Saturday’s meeting is their first since 2018.
AIC also arrives as the reigning champion of National Collegiate Rugby’s 2026 National 7s College Rugby Championship. The Yellow Jackets defeated three-time defending champion Brown 24–7 in the championship game on April 26 to claim the program’s first 7s national title.
The spring 7s championship is a different competition from the NIRA fall 15s season, but it provided another indication of the level AIC is bringing into its move to Division I.
For Dartmouth, the challenge is to stop a two-game losing streak before traveling to Princeton on October 10.
Frostburg State vs. Bowdoin
Saturday, October 3 · 2:15 p.m. ET
Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, New York
Playoff Series
Frostburg State and Bowdoin meet at Vassar College in the weekend’s other designated Playoff Series contest.
Bowdoin arrives after producing one of the closest NIRA finishes of last weekend.
The Polar Bears built a 13–0 advantage against West Chester, fell behind after the Golden Rams scored 17 unanswered points, and then crossed for the decisive try in the closing minutes to escape with an 18–17 victory.
Frostburg is trying to rebound from a difficult two-game stretch.
The Bobcats lost 58–5 at Davenport before running into a Princeton team that produced a 94–0 victory last weekend.
Frostburg has therefore conceded 152 points across its last two games, while Bowdoin enters Saturday after turning a late deficit into a one-point victory.
Davenport at Sacred Heart
Saturday, October 3 · 4:00 p.m. ET
Park Ave Field · Fairfield, Connecticut
Non-Playoff Series
Davenport heads to Fairfield after an impressive opening stretch that has included a 44–0 victory over West Chester and a 58–5 win over Frostburg State.
Sacred Heart’s women’s rugby team beat Queens University of Charlotte 69–7 last weekend, scoring 11 tries. Olivia Woods completed a hat trick, while Sam Melvin and Ava Steed scored twice each.
There is a discrepancy in the published schedules for Saturday’s matchup. NIRA lists the home side as Sacred Heart SV, while Sacred Heart’s athletics schedule lists Davenport as a women’s rugby home fixture at 4 p.m.
The game is designated Non-Playoff Series on the NIRA schedule.
Navy SV at La Salle
Saturday, October 3 · Noon ET
Hank DeVincent Field · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Non-Playoff Series
La Salle enters October on a three-game winning streak.
After opening its second varsity season with a 52–17 loss to Princeton, the Explorers responded by beating Army 27–7, Mount St. Mary’s 25–17 and Temple 76–0.
La Salle has outscored its opponents 128–24 during the streak.
Navy sends its sub-varsity side to Hank DeVincent Field on Saturday, according to the NIRA schedule, so this should not be confused with a Navy varsity standings matchup.
For La Salle, it is a chance to make it four wins in a row.
Mount St. Mary’s at West Chester
Saturday, October 3 · 11:00 a.m. ET
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Non-Playoff Series
West Chester and Mount St. Mary’s are both searching for a breakthrough after difficult Septembers.
West Chester’s season began with heavy defeats against Davenport and Princeton, but last weekend provided evidence of progress.
Trailing Bowdoin 13–0, the Golden Rams scored 17 unanswered points to take the lead before conceding the decisive try late in an 18–17 defeat.
Mount St. Mary’s has also been competitive without finding its first win.
The Mountaineers lost 29–28 to LIU in their opener, 25–17 to La Salle and 25–0 at Navy.
West Chester therefore enters Saturday after coming within minutes of its first victory, while Mount St. Mary’s has lost two of its three games by eight points or fewer.
Sunday at Emory & Henry
Sunday, October 4 · 1:00 p.m. ET
Fred Selfe Stadium · Emory, Virginia
Non-Playoff Series
The weekend concludes Sunday at Emory & Henry, with Guilford, Warren Wilson and Queens’ sub-varsity program among the teams listed for the event.
Guilford and Warren Wilson both list a 1 p.m. trip to Emory & Henry on their official schedules.
The programs are already familiar with one another this fall.
Emory & Henry defeated Guilford 17–7 on September 12, while Guilford recorded a 48–0 victory over Warren Wilson later that day.
The NIRA weekend schedule also lists Queens SV as part of Sunday’s event.
A complete game-by-game order has not been published by the participating schools, so supporters planning to attend should check with the programs for any late schedule updates.
By the Numbers
Game to Watch: AIC at Dartmouth
Saturday afternoon in Hanover provides one of the first major measuring points of AIC’s move into NIRA Division I.
The Yellow Jackets arrive with three Division II championships since 2021, their first national collegiate 7s championship from the spring and a 32–17 victory over Navy already on their 2026 résumé.
Dartmouth has a different incentive.
The Big Green have lost two straight after opening with a 41–8 win over Army, and Saturday is Dartmouth’s last game before it travels to Princeton on October 10.
For AIC, the trip offers another opportunity to show how its championship success at Division II translates against established Division I opposition.
For Dartmouth, it is an opportunity to turn a 1–2 start around as the NIRA season moves deeper into October.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, those two storylines meet at Brophy Field.
