The second-place standing was the team's highest finish ever in National Collegiate Rugby competition, which is growing nationwide.
After just five years on the pitch, the Baldwin Wallace Women's Rugby team finished second in the nation at the recent National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) 7s Tournament.
The NCR championship event, held in Boyds, Maryland, saw 144 men's and women's teams compete across four divisions, with the BW women earning silver in the National 7s Tournament.
After winning an NCR DIII automatic qualifier for the 7s Tournament, BW went on to win three decisive tournament matches to reach the finals, where they fell short against powerhouse Endicott.
In addition to the team silver medal, three-time All-American Molly Cancian was named to the 7-player All-Tournament Team. Cancian finished the weekend on the leaderboard among the top scorers at the tournament, but she was all about her hardworking BW teammates as she reflected on their achievements.
"It's a huge privilege to play rugby at such a high level of competition, and it's an even greater privilege to have faced this competition with the best teammates that anyone could ask for. I've never been prouder to take the pitch with a team."
Christine Varga, who works in the BW Community Arts School and serves as staff advisor to the team, says this is the highest finish ever for BW's program "and by far the toughest competition as rugby programs grow at schools across the U.S.," especially with the exposure the sport received after returning to the Olympics in Paris 2024.
All matches were streamed on The Rugby Network+ and YouTube.
"The experience for the athletes to be a part of the high-level rugby competition and the media coverage and exposure were incredible," Varga says. "In addition to the many matches the team was able to watch, they also met two Olympians. Meeting Naya Tapper, captain for the 2024 USA Olympic Bronze Medal team, was a huge highlight as women's rugby continues to explode in the U.S."
Beyond the women playing on the team, BW students also found experiential learning opportunities at the event.
Varga, who also serves as NCR growth and development director, helped to set up internship and volunteer experiences for a BW sport management graduate student, along with the BW Men's Rugby coach and six of his players, in field logistics, ticketing and merchandising. A BW music industry major worked as part of the stadium Jumbotron production team.
"The depth of what this tournament provided our athletes and our students working it has been phenomenal," Varga reports. "They spent time with NCR's CEO, CFO and founder, as well as the membership and media staff, and created important connections building their professional networks and skill sets."
"Rugby is traditionally a sport that people find in college," Varga notes. "No experience is necessary, and the rugby family is all about teaching the next generation of players."
She also points out that rugby is a sport where "every 'body' has a position," and players come from across campus — including the Conservatory of Performing Arts — they just have to be willing to tackle and be tackled.
As word spreads about the success of the BW program, so is interest in joining the BW team. Varga invites current or future students to connect with her to find out more about playing rugby at BW by email at ccancian@bw.edu or by phone at (216) 210-7449.
