ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's rugby team (11-4 in 7s, 4-5 in 15s) begins its championship push at the 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) Women's Premier Cup this weekend at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.
 
The Midshipmen enter as the third seed in the Premier Cup West bracket and face sixth-seeded St. Bonaventure in the first round on Saturday at 9:40 a.m. The winner advances to the quarterfinals to face either second-seeded Queens or seventh-seeded Northern Iowa at 3:40 p.m. The semifinals and placement games will resume on Sunday at 11:20 a.m.
 
Fans can watch every Premier Cup game on NCRTV (subscription) via links provided on navysports.com. No live stats will be available.
 
Tournament Breakdown
The Women's Premier Cup features 16 teams split into East and West brackets.
 
The eight teams eliminated in the opening round move to the Bowl bracket, where they can finish as high as ninth place. Those who lose their first Bowl bracket match drop to the Shield bracket to compete for 13th and 15th place on Sunday.
 
Teams eliminated in the quarterfinals move to the Plate bracket to play for fifth place, while semifinal losers meet to determine third place on day two.
 
Navy Against the Field
Navy holds a 4-1 record in 7s this season against teams in the championship field, with victories over West Chester (40-7; 22-14), New Haven (57-0) and Long Island (36-0). The Mids' lone loss came against Queens, 24-5.
 
The tournament also features four National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) squads: Brown, LIU, Navy and Queens.
 
Navy in the CRCs
The Midshipmen boast a 7-5 CRC record as a varsity program. Navy went 2-2 in last year's championship, finishing seventh following a 30-0 victory over New Haven.
 
The Mids have finished in the top seven every year since becoming a varsity program in 2022, placing fourth in 2023 and third in 2024.
 
Lara Olmsted led the team in scoring (15) and tries (3) at last year's tournament. Also returning are Ella Callahan, Alexis Rohrbach, Ashley Spencer and Mia Young, all of whom scored at least one try in the CRCs last season.
 
Navy Notes

• Navy is one victory away from tying the program record for 7s wins in a season (12) that was set last year. The Mids have 11 wins, including six shutouts.
• Catherine O'Hara leads the team in 7s points (65) and tries (13).
• Young has been a versatile weapon, leading the team with 24 conversion kicks while adding three tries this spring.
• Cecilia Izquierdo and Ella Callahan are tied for second on the team with 11 tries apiece.
• Depth has been a strength, with 18 different Midshipmen scoring a try this spring.
• Navy has recorded 73 total tries (4.9 per game), 38 conversion kicks (2.5 per game) and 424 total points (28.3 per game) during 7s play.

 
Scouting St. Bonaventure

• St. Bonaventure enters the tournament at 7-6, including a 3-1 performance in its most recent outing at the Gate City 7s.

 
Navy vs. St. Bonaventure Series History

• Saturday's meeting marks the first game between Navy and St. Bonaventure.

 
Navy Sports Magazine
Catherine O'Hara sat down with Tim Nolan this week on the Navy Sports Magazine show. Fans can watch the interview on the Navy Athletics YouTube channel.