USA earned its first victory of the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens on Saturday, defeating host South Africa 31–12 before falling 28–15 to Australia in the quarterfinals in Stellenbosch.
The United States women’s university sevens team delivered a much stronger second day at the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens, breaking through for its first victory and advancing to the tournament quarterfinals.
After opening the championship with losses to Japan and France on Friday, USA responded Saturday with a 31–12 victory over host South Africa in its final Pool A match at Danie Craven Stadium.
After closing pool play with its first victory, USA moved into the knockout stage, where the Americans faced Australia with a place in the semifinals at stake.
USA challenged the Australians and led 10–7 at halftime, but Australia responded after the break to claim a 28–15 quarterfinal victory.
The defeat ended USA’s medal hopes, but Saturday represented a significant improvement from its 0–2 opening day.
And at the center of that improvement was Emma Buxton.
The UCLA product scored five tries across USA’s two matches Saturday, giving her six tries through the first four matches of the tournament.
USA Breaks Through Against South Africa
USA entered Saturday’s final Pool A match looking for its first victory of the championship.
South Africa was in a similar position.
Both teams had lost to France and Japan on Friday, leaving their meeting as an opportunity to close pool play with a victory.
USA took advantage.
The Americans defeated the hosts 31–12, scoring five tries in their most productive attacking performance of the tournament.
Buxton led the way with a hat trick, while Leah Lockerman and Olivia Baptiste also crossed for USA.
USA led 10–5 at halftime before pulling away during the second half.
USA 31–12 South Africa
Halftime: USA 10–5 South Africa
USA tries: Emma Buxton (3), Leah Lockerman, Olivia Baptiste
USA conversions: Julia Murray, Leah Lockerman, Alyssa Cunningham
South Africa tries: Fatoume Yalcoue, Thobile Msizazwe
South Africa conversion: Elme Kruger
The result gave USA its first win of the tournament after Friday’s 26–12 loss to Japan and 25–5 defeat to France.
It also represented a major offensive improvement.
USA had scored 17 points across its two Day 1 matches.
Against South Africa alone, the Americans scored 31.
Australia Awaits in the Quarterfinal
Following the conclusion of Pool A play, USA moved into the knockout stage and a quarterfinal against Australia.
It was a difficult assignment.
Australia had demonstrated its attacking potential throughout the tournament, including an 89–0 victory over Botswana on the opening day.
But USA gave Australia a serious challenge.
The Americans produced three tries and took a 10–7 advantage into halftime.
Australia ultimately took control after the break and secured a 28–15 victory, advancing to Sunday’s semifinals.
Australia 28–15 USA
Halftime: USA 10–7 Australia
USA tries: Emma Buxton (2), Alyssa Cunningham
Australia tries: Leilani Hills (3), Brianna Worsfold
Australia conversions: Bonnie Brewer, Abbi Spooner (3)
USA’s quarterfinal defeat ended its opportunity to compete for a medal, but scoring three tries against Australia provided another indication of the Americans’ improved attacking performance on Day 2.
Emma Buxton Scores Five Tries on Day 2
Buxton emerged as USA’s biggest individual storyline Saturday.
USA Scores 46 Points on Day 2
The difference between USA’s first and second days is particularly noticeable when looking at the scoring.
Day 1
Japan 26–12 USA
France 25–5 USA
USA points scored: 17
Day 2
USA 31–12 South Africa
Australia 28–15 USA
USA points scored: 46
The Americans therefore scored nearly three times as many points Saturday as they had during Friday’s opening two matches.
USA’s tournament record now stands at 1–3.
Across those four matches, the Americans have scored 63 points and conceded 91.
From 0–2 to the Quarterfinals
USA’s record doesn’t completely capture the progression of its tournament.
Friday began with the Americans facing two of Pool A’s strongest teams.
Japan defeated USA 26–12 before France won 25–5.
Both Japan and France went unbeaten through Friday, and when they finally met Saturday, the two teams played to a 12–12 draw.
USA then responded against South Africa to earn its first victory before moving into the knockout stage.
The quarterfinal brought an even greater challenge against Australia, but USA was competitive enough to lead at halftime before the Australians turned the match around.
That leaves the Americans out of the medal semifinals but with a substantially different picture than the one created by Friday’s 0–2 start.
Australia’s Attack Proves Decisive
Australia entered the quarterfinal as one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the women’s competition.
Leilani Hills reinforced that reputation against USA.
Hills scored three tries in the quarterfinal, providing much of the scoring that ultimately separated the teams.
Her performance added to an impressive individual tournament and helped Australia book a place in the semifinals.
Australia joined Canada, Japan and France in the women’s final four.
College Rugby Connections Continue to Stand Out
The FISU championship is an international tournament rather than a traditional college competition.
Players represent their countries, not their individual universities.
But USA’s roster continues to provide a direct connection to the American collegiate game.
The 12-player squad includes athletes with backgrounds across Brown, Harvard, Sacred Heart, Central Washington, UCLA, Penn State and Texas Tech.
Buxton’s five-try Saturday provides perhaps the clearest example of that connection.
The UCLA product has now become USA’s leading try scorer in Stellenbosch.
Brown also has four players with Brown rugby backgrounds represented on the roster: Olivia Baptiste, Morgan Cunningham, Kate Muldoon and Julia Murray.
Harvard adds Cameron Fields and Paula Vincze, while Alyssa Cunningham came through Sacred Heart.
That gives followers of American college rugby another opportunity to see players from different domestic pathways competing together under a USA banner.
USA’s FISU Results Through Day 2
Four matches through the first two days in Stellenbosch.
USA Flips the Scoring Margin
USA went from a −34 scoring differential on Day 1 to a +6 differential on Day 2, while increasing its scoring output from 17 to 46 points.
Medal Semifinals Set for Sunday
USA will not compete for the championship after its quarterfinal defeat.
The four women’s teams remaining in medal contention are:
Australia
Canada
Japan
France
Australia will face Canada, while defending champion Japan meets France as the tournament moves toward Sunday’s championship match.
The 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens concludes Sunday, September 6, at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch.
USA’s attention now turns to the tournament’s placement phase and an opportunity to finish its first FISU World University Rugby Sevens appearance on another positive note.
Whatever happens Sunday, Day 2 represented a clear step forward.
USA went from an 0–2 opening day to its first tournament victory, reached the quarterfinals and scored 46 points across two matches.
And no American player made a bigger impact on that turnaround than Emma Buxton.
Five tries Saturday. Six tries through four matches. And 30 points for USA in Stellenbosch.
USA’s FISU Tournament Continues Sunday
USA is out of medal contention following its quarterfinal loss to Australia, but the 2026 FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens concludes Sunday in Stellenbosch.
USA will not compete for a medal after its 28–15 quarterfinal defeat to Australia.
Watch the Final Day
FISU is streaming the World University Championship Rugby Sevens through the World University Sport platform.
