Navy’s men extended their unbeaten season with a 27–10 victory at Life University, Harvard’s women continued their NIRA title defense, and New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup for the 24th consecutive year. Across American college and club rugby, the weekend delivered dominant victories, close finishes and important developments ahead of the postseason.
Chicago Lions scored 69 points against Metropolis, Palmer College’s women reached 114, and Dartmouth handed Princeton its first defeat of the season.
National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) also confirmed that its 2026 national championships will be held at West Point in November.
Here are the stories and results that mattered from October 5–11.
Navy Men Stay Unbeaten With Victory at Life
Navy 27–10 Life University | October 10 | Marietta, Georgia
Navy maintained its perfect start to the men’s college rugby season with a 27–10 victory over Life University at Lupo Family Field.
The Midshipmen improved to 6–0 overall and 4–0 in Rugby East, extending their conference winning streak to 10 matches.
Life opened the scoring with a penalty, but Navy responded through first-half tries from Aidan Gerber and Andrew Baublitz. Kade Williams converted both, giving Navy a 14–3 halftime lead.
Maximus Buono added a third try after the restart. Life answered through Shaun Matthysen, reducing the deficit to 19–10, before Waylon Davis scored Navy’s fourth try. Williams completed the scoring with a late penalty.
The bonus-point victory strengthened Navy’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive Rugby East championship.
BY THE NUMBERS
Navy Men’s Rugby | October 10, 2026
Navy visits Mount St. Mary’s on October 17, before hosting Saint Mary’s of California on October 24 and Penn State on October 31.
on October 17 before hosting Saint Mary’s of California on October 24 and Penn State on October 31.
Harvard Remains Unbeaten as Navy Women Fight Back
Harvard 53–26 Navy | October 10 | Mignone Field, Cambridge
Harvard continued its unbeaten NIRA campaign with a 53–26 victory over Navy.
The three-time defending national champions improved to 4–0 after building a 29–0 halftime lead and extending their advantage to 46–0.
Navy’s women fought back with four second-half tries, showing they could break through Harvard’s defense despite the substantial deficit.
Natalie Peugeot and Aleksandria Gabbard each scored twice for the Midshipmen, with Mia Young adding three conversions. Navy outscored Harvard 26–24 after halftime, but the Crimson’s early advantage proved decisive.
Morgan Gibson and Eseta Pale each scored twice for Harvard, while Jayelle Jones recorded the first try of her collegiate career.
Harvard now travels to Lindenwood on October 17 for a rematch of the 2025 NIRA Division I championship final, which the Crimson won 22–19.
Dartmouth Hands Princeton Its First Defeat
Dartmouth 55–14 Princeton | October 10 | Princeton, New Jersey
Dartmouth delivered another important NIRA result, defeating previously unbeaten Princeton 55–14.
Princeton entered the match 4–0, but Dartmouth scored nine tries to claim a commanding victory.
Lauren Cheng and Peyton Langworthy each crossed twice as Dartmouth improved to 3–2.
The result ended Princeton’s unbeaten start and gave Dartmouth a valuable victory as the regular season approaches its final stages.
Other NIRA Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Army at Queens | 57–14 |
| AIC vs Brown | 77–12 |
| Lindenwood at Davenport | 52–5 |
Lindenwood’s victory over Davenport was a non-conference fixture.
Read RFC’s October NIRA results coverage
NIRA Championship Weekend Confirmed for West Point
The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association announced that its 2026 national championships will be held November 21–22 at Army West Point’s Anderson Rugby Complex.
The weekend will feature the Division I championship final and the combined Division II/III final. Semifinals are scheduled for November 14, with higher-seeded teams hosting.
Harvard is pursuing a fourth consecutive Division I national championship.
View RFC’s 2026 NIRA standings
Men’s College Rugby: BYU, Army and Lindenwood Impress
BYU defeated Colorado 50–7, Army beat Mount St. Mary’s 66–8, and Lindenwood won 41–21 at Ohio State during another busy weekend of men’s college rugby.
Illinois scored 71 points against Michigan State, while Sacramento State defeated San Jose State 47–33.
Wyoming produced one of the closest finishes, edging Utah State 25–24.
Selected Men’s College Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| BYU vs Colorado | 50–7 |
| Army vs Mount St. Mary’s | 66–8 |
| Lindenwood at Ohio State | 41–21 |
| Illinois vs Michigan State | 71–26 |
| Sacramento State vs San Jose State | 47–33 |
| Wyoming vs Utah State | 25–24 |
| Davenport vs McKendree | 37–10 |
| Arkansas State vs Loyola New Orleans (D1AA) | 41–12 |
NCR Women’s Rugby: Notre Dame Scores 86
National Collegiate Rugby’s (NCR) women’s competitions produced several substantial results, including Notre Dame’s 86–17 victory over Ohio State.
Michigan defeated Michigan State 75–0, while Northern Michigan recorded an 81–10 win against Michigan Tech.
Penn State beat Walsh 31–17, Northeastern defeated New Haven 50–22, and Bowling Green won 29–14 against Grand Valley State.
Chicago and Illinois State finished level at 22–22.
Selected NCR Women’s Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Notre Dame vs Ohio State | 86–17 |
| Michigan vs Michigan State | 75–0 |
| Northern Michigan vs Michigan Tech | 81–10 |
| Penn State vs Walsh | 31–17 |
| Northeastern vs New Haven | 50–22 |
| Bowling Green vs Grand Valley State | 29–14 |
| Chicago vs Illinois State | 22–22 |
Chicago Lions Score 69 Against Metropolis
Chicago Lions 69–29 Metropolis | October 10
Chicago Lions produced one of the weekend’s standout Midwest Division I results, defeating Metropolis 69–29.
The teams combined for 98 points, with Chicago finishing 40 points ahead.
Elsewhere, Pittsburgh Forge’s Division I side beat Chicago Griffins 28–24, while Indianapolis Impalas defeated Cincinnati Wolfhounds 31–15.
Midwest Division II also produced several high scores, including Wisconsin’s 104–7 victory over Lake County Coyotes and Green Bay’s 97–22 win against Milwaukee Barbarians.
Selected Men’s Club Results
| Competition | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Midwest D1 | Chicago Lions vs Metropolis | 69–29 |
| Midwest D1 | Pittsburgh Forge vs Chicago Griffins | 28–24 |
| Midwest D1 | Indianapolis vs Cincinnati Wolfhounds | 31–15 |
| Midwest D2 | Wisconsin vs Lake County | 104–7 |
| Midwest D2 | Green Bay vs Milwaukee Barbarians | 97–22 |
| Midwest D2 | Eastside Banshees vs Milwaukee Rugby | 71–0 |
| Midwest D3 | Canton-Akron vs Pittsburgh Forge D3 | 40–40 |
| Midwest D3 | Flint Rogues vs Capital Area Crisis | 43–42 |
Pittsburgh Forge fields teams in both men’s Division I and Division III, while Milwaukee Barbarians and Milwaukee Rugby are separate clubs.
The 40–40 draw between Canton-Akron and Pittsburgh Forge’s Division III side produced 80 combined points, while Flint’s 43–42 victory over Capital Area Crisis was decided by a single point.
Explore RFC’s USA Club Rugby Hub
Palmer College Scores 114 in Women’s Club Rugby
Palmer College 114–5 County Will Morrigans | October 10
Palmer College recorded a 109-point victory over County Will Morrigans in Midwest Women’s Division II competition.
Palmer’s 114 points were the highest single-team total among the club results selected for this roundup.
Chicago Sirens defeated Fox Valley Vixens 60–5, while Metropolis Valkyries beat Twin Cities Amazons 48–26 in Division I.
Grand Rapids Growlers recorded a closer 31–26 victory over Columbus Squirrels.
Selected Women’s Club Results
| Competition | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Midwest D2 | Palmer vs County Will | 114–5 |
| Midwest D2 | Chicago Sirens vs Fox Valley | 60–5 |
| Midwest D1 | Metropolis Valkyries vs Twin Cities Amazons | 48–26 |
| Midwest D1 | Grand Rapids vs Columbus | 31–26 |
| Midwest D2 | Minneapolis Menagerie vs Oconomowoc | 29–10 |
| Pacific Northwest | Emerald City Mudhens vs Lady Roughriders | 48–24 |
All Blacks Retain Bledisloe Cup for 24th Consecutive Year
New Zealand 50–19 Australia | October 10 | Eden Park, Auckland
New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup for the 24th consecutive year after defeating Australia 50–19 at Eden Park.
Australia started brightly through an early Tom Wright try, but New Zealand responded with scores from Peter Lakai and Tupou Vaa’i.
Harry Wilson crossed before halftime to keep the Wallabies within three points, trailing 17–14.
The All Blacks took control after the restart.
Cam Roigard, Codie Taylor, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby and Will Jordan scored second-half tries, while Australia managed one through Josh Nasser.
Damian McKenzie contributed 15 points with six conversions and a penalty.
Roigard scored one of New Zealand’s five second-half tries and earned player-of-the-match praise in The Guardian’s live coverage.
By the Numbers: Bledisloe Cup
| Statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Final score | New Zealand 50–19 Australia |
| Halftime | New Zealand 17–14 Australia |
| All Blacks tries | 7 |
| Second-half tries | 5 |
| Damian McKenzie points | 15 |
| Consecutive Bledisloe Cup retentions | 24 |
| Consecutive unbeaten Tests at Eden Park | 54 |
The result extended New Zealand’s unbeaten run at Eden Park to 54 Tests, a sequence dating to 1994.
Australia has an opportunity to respond when the teams meet again in Sydney on October 17.
Read RFC’s full All Blacks vs Wallabies match report and watch the highlights
Three Things to Watch Next
Navy’s Rugby East campaign: The unbeaten Midshipmen travel to Mount St. Mary’s on October 17, looking to strengthen their position in the conference title race.
Harvard vs Lindenwood: The Crimson travel to Missouri for a rematch of the 2025 NIRA Division I final, which Harvard won 22–19.
USA Women vs Italy: The Eagles face Italy on October 17 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in the WXV Global Series.
Australia and New Zealand also meet again in Sydney, with the Wallabies looking to respond after their Eden Park defeat.
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