Two-time defending national champion Wisconsin-Eau Claire enters the Women’s Division II season ranked No. 1. The Blugolds haven’t lost a league XVs match during their two- year championship run, and they return a trio of All-Americans in prop Emily Martel, flyhalf Megan Ludy and wing Cerys Ridd. A marquee interdivisional friendly with DI powerhouse Northern Iowa is slated for October 25.
Chasing Eau Claire from within the Great Waters conference is Illinois, which knocked off Bowling Green in the opening round and LSU in the quarterfinals last fall, before falling to the Blugolds in the semifinals.
Seeking revenge on Eau Claire from outside the Great Waters are second-ranked Vassar and No. 3 Cincinnati. The Brewers fell to the Blugolds in the national final last December, 32-29, and are hungry for another shot at the title. Cincinnati also scared Eau Claire in the postseason, falling 12-10 in the quarterfinals.
Vassar will rely on the steady hand of All-American scrumhalf Sophia Bailey to guide them back to the final four, while the Bearcats have several returning All-Americans in lock Elaina Grayson, back rows Shannon Swinerton and Taylor Powell, and center Paige Huggins.
Despite the high ranking, the Brewers are arguably underdogs in the Tri-State race, as ninth-ranked Columbia is the defending conference champion. The Lions fell to Coast Guard in the Round of 16 last fall, but rebounded with a top-four finish in 7s in April at the CRC. With a beefed up coaching staff, Columbia is all-in on a deeper run this season.
After eliminating Columbia, Coast Guard went on to finish third in the playoffs. The Bears beat Roger Williams in the quarterfinals, before falling to Vassar in a high-scoring national semifinal and rebounding for a lopsided win over Illinois in the consolation match. Coast Guard enters the season ranked fourth, but a top-10, non-conference quarterfinal rematch with Roger Williams on October 5 could shake things up. And on October 25, it's the bright lights of Friday Night Rugby for the Bears, who host military academy rival Norwich in the game of the week.
RWU looks like the team to beat again in the Rugby Northeast conference. The Hawks open league play at home on September 21 against the Providence Friars. Highly decorated outside back Natalia Comiskey returns for her junior season as an All-American, winning the honor as a sophomore. In 7s, she made the CRC All-Tournament team in April and was named divisional MVP at the CRC as a first-year.
Sixth-ranked Coastal Carolina is the favorite in an expanded South Atlantic Rugby Conference. With DI crossover matches added to a more robust schedule, whoever emerges from the SARC will be battle hardened.
Temple is the frontrunner in the Mid Atlantic Rugby Conference, and the Owls are looking to improve on a second-round exit from the playoffs last fall, having defeated Syracuse in the Round of 16 before falling to Vassar.
LSU comes into its second season in the Lone Star conference with momentum. The Tigers got into the postseason in their league debut, notching a massive program win over the Colorado School of Mines in the opening round. With more games on the docket and more time to prepare this fall, LSU is looking to go a step further.
