BOYDS, MARYLAND — Saturday began Northeastern Women’s Rugby’s campaign for yet another title in NCR’s Collegiate Rugby Championship. As back-to-back defending champions in Division I-AA, the Maddogs hold high expectations for the 2026 tournament, striving for their third-straight national championship.
The day started early with an 11 A.M. match against Utah State. Northeastern controlled play for the majority of the game, limiting Utah’s ability to gain ground and working the ball to the outside which created multiple long runs.
Soon enough, Northeastern jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with a try from captain Jolene Russo and put the Maddogs in the driver’s seat. Russo followed it up shortly after with another try — officially awarded as a penalty try — to extend the lead to 12.
Utah would respond with a try of their own in the early stages of the second half, but Northeastern quickly responded as Mira Mahmoud punched through the goalline on the left wing, guiding the Maddogs to a 17-7 victory.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement,” said Northeastern Head 7s Coach Margaret Reiss. “It’s a big tournament. There’s a lot of good rugby, [and] there’s a lot of good teams here. So, it’s really exciting for some people, [whether] they’ve been here two [or] three times now, [or for] some people it’s their first year, but I think there’s just a really good energy for the weekend.”
The victory over Utah started Northeastern off on the right foot and set them up for an afternoon match with Boise State in the quarterfinals.
With the men’s team cheering them on behind the bench and the rain beginning to drizzle, the Maddogs again showed out. Although Boise put up a strong fight and made it interesting to cut the 10-point-lead to three, Northeastern was able to lock it down defensively and secure the 10-7 victory.
“[It was] hard fought right up to the end,” Russo said about the bout with Boise State. “We are ready for two more games of rugby. We want that third [national] championship, back-to-back-to-back. I know this team [can do it], so after this day, I’m even more excited to see what’s to come.”
Like the first game, Russo led the scoring, notching her third-and-fourth-tries of the weekend to send the defending champs to the semifinals — a Sunday morning match with Arizona State.
However for Northeastern, winning on the national stage goes beyond just bringing home hardware; it represents the dedication the team puts in to ensure things go smoothly both on and off the field.
“It’s truly a huge honor,” Russo said about being a contender in a tournament as large as CRCs. “Especially being a club team where we are basically built ourselves from the ground up. So, we do all the fundraising, [and] we’re made up of a student athlete E-Board. So, this is something that we all choose to put the time on. We came to the school for academics, but then said, let’s add this on to what we’re already doing. … So, it’s not always easy being on this team, but we it’s a lot a lot of fun, and that’s what keeps people coming”
Northeastern continues their quest for a third-straight national championship on Sunday, as they take on Arizona State in the semifinals.
Luke Graham is the Sports Director and former Digital Content Manager for WRBB Sports. He has covered Northeastern hockey and baseball with WRBB both on-air and in print for three years. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X here.