Lady Ruggers

Rugby team
USA
UnionMid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Penn State Nittany Lions or Lady Ruggers
Emblem(s)Nittany Lion
RegionState College, Pennsylvania
Ground(s)West Campus Rugby Pitch (Capacity: 50 Seats 200 Standing)
Coach(es)Kate Daley
League(s)EPRU
Division 1
Official website
gopsusports.com/sports/womens-rugby

The Lady Ruggers are Penn State University's (PSU) Women's Rugby Football Club sports team, established in 1991. They are a Division 1 Elite rugby team who play under USA Rugby, American rugby's governing body. Although they are an official PSU team the women's rugby program at PSU is not funded as a varsity sport and therefore cannot be officially called the "Nittany Lions". The team is part of the Penn State athletic department's "team sports" program and plays other school's varsity teams.

The Rugby Alumni Association, which supports the team, also works with the Penn State's men's rugby team.

Kabala Rugby Hall 1 of 4 walls including the 2007 National Championship Trophy, Traded International Jerseys and All-America Plaques
Penn State Lock Nichole F. Lopes '07 & '09 Vs West Chester Oct. 2008 at Penn State West Pitch

Division I National Final Four Appearances (15s)

  • 1993 – 3rd Place
  • 1994 – 3rd Place
  • 1995 – 2nd Place (Princeton def. Penn State)
  • 1996 – 2nd Place (Princeton def. Penn State)
  • 1997 – National Champions (Runner-up Radcliffe)
  • 1998 – 2nd Place (Radcliffe def. Penn State)
  • 2000 – National Champions (Runner-up Princeton)
  • 2001 – 2nd Place (Chico State def. Penn State)
  • 2002 – 2nd Place (Air Force def. Penn State)
  • 2003 – 3rd Place
  • 2004 – National Champions (Runner-up Princeton)
  • 2005 – 2nd Place (Stanford 53 Penn State 6)
  • 2006 – 2nd Place (Stanford 15 Penn State 12)
  • 2007 – National Champions (Penn State 22 Stanford 21)
  • 2008 – 2nd Place (Stanford 15 Penn State 10)
  • 2009 – National Champions (Penn State 46 Stanford 7)
  • 2010 – National Champions (Penn State 24 Stanford 7)
  • 2011 – 2nd Place (Army 33 Penn State 29)
  • 2012 – National Champions (Penn State 46 Stanford 15)
  • 2013 – National Champions (Penn State 65 Norwich 10)
  • 2014 – National Champions (Penn State 38 Stanford 0)
  • 2015 – National Champions (Penn State 61 Central Washington 7)
  • 2016 – National Champions (Penn State 15 Brigham Young 5)
  • 2017 – National Champions (Penn State 28 Lindenwood 25)
  • 2018 – lost semifinal game[1]
  • 2019 – lost semifinal game[2]
  • 2020 – cancelled (pandemic)
  • 2021 – did not compete (pandemic)
  • 2022 (spring) – lost semifinal game
  • 2022 (fall) – withdrew after qualifying for semifinal game

National championship winners

Division I [3]
Year and Champion Year and Champion Year and Champion Year and Champion
1991 Air Force 1998 Harvard-Radcliffe 2005 Stanford 2012 Penn State
1992 Boston College 1999 Stanford 2006 Stanford 2013 Penn State
1993 Connecticut 2000 Penn State 2007 Penn State 2014 Penn State
1994 Air Force 2001 Chico State (CA) 2008 Stanford 2015 Penn State
1995 Princeton 2002 Air Force 2009 Penn State Div I Elite established
1996 Princeton 2003 Air Force 2010 Penn State
1997 Penn State 2004 Penn State 2011 Army[4]
Year Division I Elite Result
2016 Penn State 15, Brigham Young 5[5]
2017 Penn State 28, Lindenwood 25[6]

Rugby Sevens Collegiate Championships

Collegiate Rugby Championship

2011- 2nd Place (Penn State 5 Army 14)

Year Champion
2011 Army
2012 not held[7]
2013 Penn State[8]
2014 Penn State[9]
2015 Penn State
2016 Life University[10]
2017 Life University
2018 Lindenwood 21–12 Penn State

USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships

In the first three years, the tournament was held in December, and the location necessitated considerable travel costs. Because of the impact on their programs, strong teams that won bids declined to participate.[11][12][13]

Year Champion
2011 did not participate
2012 did not participate
2013 did not participate
2014 shifted from fall to spring
2015 Penn State
2016 Life University[14]
2017 Lindenwood
2018 Lindenwood 20–0 Penn State

Captains

Captains are selected by team members. To qualify to vote, a player must have played with the team for at least one semester at the time of the vote. Coaching staff have no vote. A captain's term lasts one semester, but she can be reelected multiple times.

  • Fall 2001 - Claudia Braymer '02, Scrumhalf
  • Spring 2002 - Claudia Braymer '02, Scrumhalf
  • Spring 2004 - Kim Magrini '04, Scrumhalf
  • Fall 2004 - Maggie Reed '05, 2nd Row, 8, & Flanker
  • Spring 2005 - Maggie Reed '05, 2nd Row, 8, & Flanker
  • Fall 2005 - Amber Benlian '06, Center
  • Spring 2006 - Amber Benlian '06, Center
  • Fall 2006 - Diana Klein '07, Fullback
  • Spring 2007 - Alison Searle '07, Lock
  • Fall 2007 - Lauren Rosso '09, Outside Center
  • Spring 2008 - Kristen Snyder '09, Hooker
  • Fall 2008 - Annie Zeigler '10, Scrumhalf
  • Spring 2009 - Kristen Snyder '09, Hooker
  • Fall 2009 - Ann Blair '09, Wing
  • Spring 2010 - R. Smyers '10, Lock
  • Fall 2010 - Sadie Anderson '12, Flyhalf
  • Spring 2011 - Kyle Armstrong '12, Lock
  • Fall 2011 - Sadie Anderson '12, Flyhalf
  • ?
  • Spring 2021 - Ellie Fromstein and Mia Lancellotti

See also

References

  1. ^ Cahill, Calder (May 6, 2018). "Lindenwood, Chico State, Tulane Women – Mary Washington Men secure 2018 Championships". Lafayette, Colorado USA: USA Rugby. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  2. ^ "2019 Women's College D1 Elite Playoffs". USA Rugby. Retrieved 2021-07-04.
  3. ^ "Women's National Collegiate Champions: D I". Archived from the original on 2009-06-17. Retrieved 2009-08-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "Lee Sparks Army Women Victory". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  5. ^ Wise, Chad (May 7, 2016). "PENN STATE WINS ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP, FIRST D1 ELITE TITLE". USA Rugby. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  6. ^ Wise, Chad (May 6, 2017). "NITTANY LIONS BEND, DO NOT BREAK IN D1 ELITE FINAL". Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  7. ^ Goff, Alex (4 December 2012). "CRC Looking into Women's Bracket Again". Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  8. ^ Finlan, Jackie (3 June 2013). "PSU Women, CRC 7s' Best". Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  9. ^ "Penn State Women's Rugby 7s win third straight Collegiate Rugby Championships in Philadelphia". 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  10. ^ "LIFE WOMEN VS LINDENWOOD WOMEN". Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  11. ^ "College 7s Nationals Fields Finalized". RugbyMag.com. 12 November 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014.
  12. ^ "One Out, One in for College 7s Nats". RugbyMag.com. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Razorbacks to 7s Nats, One Spot Left". RugbyMag.com. 27 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 September 2013.
  14. ^ Goff, Alex (29 May 2016). "Champions Crowned Women's College 7s". Goff Rugby Report. Retrieved 2016-05-29.

External links

  • Team's Website
  • USA Rugby
  • National College Rankings
  • Article about the team
  • Article about the team
  • Penn State University
  • Team's Alumni Website