On Sept. 28, Dartmouth women’s rugby hosted Sacred Heart University at Brophy Field. The Big Green defeated the Pioneers 32-16, improving their season record to 4-0 — their third 4-0 start in the last four seasons.
Dartmouth women’s rugby is no stranger to success, and this campaign has been no different. The team has a clear goal, according to co-captain Katelyn Walker ’26: reclaiming the NIRA Championship title, which they lost to Harvard last year.
“If we can keep building and improving, we will have a great opportunity to play in the national championship here in Hanover in November,” Walker said.
Sacred Heart came into Hanover looking to bounce back from a narrow 25-20 loss to Harvard on Sept. 13.
However, they were met by a Dartmouth team determined to maintain their undefeated season after holding Queens University of Charlotte scoreless in a 31-0 victory in Annapolis, Md.
Benefiting from the buzz of Family Weekend, the match at Brophy drew a large crowd of students, alumni, families and even a few pets.
“The crowd brings so much energy to the field,” co-captain Sia Meni ’25 said. “Hearing them cheer … even my mom with her moose horn at the game [against Sacred Heart] … really pumps us up and gives us an extra boost on the field.”
That energy was evident in the first 15 minutes of play, which were characterized by a back-and-forth exchange between the two teams. Walker opened the scoring at the 15:05 mark, outrunning Sacred Heart on the far side of the field to give Dartmouth a 5-0 advantage.
However, the Pioneers remained persistent, responding with a try at the 20:14 mark to tie the game and a penalty kick five minutes later to take an 8-5 lead. Dartmouth was now in uncharted territory: for the first time this season, they found themselves trailing on the scoreboard.
The Big Green welcomed the challenge, viewing it as an opportunity to improve and prepare for challenging game-day situations, according to Meni.
“In tighter matches, we really have to dig deep and rely on the foundations we’ve built,” Meni said. “Games like this one are a great way to assess where we stand and figure out what we need to work on to get to where we want to be.”
Dartmouth successfully answered Sacred Heart’s pressure with an emphasis on communication and physicality.
“I find that the team performs the best when we have high chatter and high energy,” Katie Hansen ’27 said. “Especially in the scrum, as the flanker, it’s my job to fire up the tight five and encourage them to really bring it.”
The team’s focus and positivity paid off at 34:53, when Meni picked up a loose ball and carried it into the try zone to put the Big Green back ahead, 10-8.
Annie Henrich ’28 added to the lead when she drilled the conversion, extending their lead to 12-8.
Three of the seven players in the backline on Saturday were first-years.
“We ask a lot of them, but they all have risen to the task and have come to be critical cogs in the Dartmouth women’s rugby machinery,” Hansen said.
Henrich, for example, shone again just before the end of the half, adding three more points with a penalty kick to make the score 15-8 going into the break.
Just five minutes into the second half, Cindy Taulava ’26 powered into the try zone, dodging a Sacred Heart defender and extending Dartmouth’s lead to 20-8.
Despite their increasing deficit, the Pioneers remained determined. As the game neared its final minutes, the intensity on the field seemed to increase.
“The game was probably the most physical match we have had this season,” Walker said.
Sacred Heart scored a try and tacked on a penalty kick of their own to bring the gap to just four points with 14 minutes left in regulation.
“We knew this game was going to be a closer one,” Hansen said. “We knew we couldn’t afford to make small mistakes.”
A penalty try at 71 minutes finally gave Dartmouth some breathing room, widening their advantage to 27-16. Although the Pioneers kept pushing, Dartmouth’s defense held strong and kept their opponents scoreless for the rest of the game.
In the final minutes, Kellie Miller ’26 closed out the scoring with a try at the 78-minute mark. After taking advantage of a series of crisp passes, she sealed the Big Green’s victory, 32-16.
The well-attended game showcased not only Dartmouth’s skill but also the growing popularity of women’s rugby, Meni said.
“The growth of women’s rugby in recent years has been remarkable,” Meni said. “Being part of Dartmouth women’s rugby has allowed me to feel like I’m right in the midst of it all.”
As the sport gains national and even international attention — largely thanks to Ilona Maher, a player on the United States women’s rugby squad at this summer’s Olympics — players at every level have acknowledged the importance of visibility and representation.
“I hope that more and more little girls will be able to see rugby as a real option earlier in life than I did,” Walker said. “[Rugby] is so fun and rewarding, and the culture is excellent.”
That culture has been instrumental in Dartmouth’s success in the past and remains an essential aspect of the team, Hansen said.
“We have four values — grit, authenticity, extrospection and unity,” Hansen said. “When everyone plays for those values and for what they represent, we are unstoppable.”
The Big Green will have a bye-week before heading to Cambridge to take on the rival Harvard Crimson on Oct. 12.
“We’re going to focus on our team culture over the next two weeks because we want to come into this game [against Harvard] prepared physically, but also mentally,” Meni said. “The mental part comes much easier when we’re in it together.”
As the Big Green looks ahead to Harvard, and further into the future toward a championship run, they will continue to push themselves in all aspects of their game.
“We have been building every week in terms of culture, conditioning, decision-making and playing,” Walker explained.
The upcoming game in Cambridge carries extra weight, as it will be a rematch of the 2023 NIRA Championship, in which Dartmouth narrowly fell to Harvard 20-12 in its pursuit of a third consecutive title. The stakes are high — but the Big Green is ready, Meni said.
“This team has given me so much, and I want to make this year about giving back to the program,” Meni said. “I can’t think of a better way to do that than by winning another title.”
