GRR: Harvard
Harvard pulled off a major championship double, beating Lindenwood in the final of the CRAA Women's Premier 7s to bookend their fall 2023 NIRA D1 title.
Playing at Aveva Stadium in Houston, Harvard topped the 10-team field that included NIRA (NCAA Varsity) teams plus D1 Elite programs Lindenwood, Life, and Penn State.
The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association crowned their champions Saturday at Harvard's Mignone Field, with DI, DII, and DIII winners celebrated.
In a game that lived up to the hype, Harvard defeated Dartmouth to win the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association DI varsity championship.
Paced by two tries from wing Lennox London and one from flyhalf and game MVP Brogan Mior, the Crimson won thanks to an adventurous attacking style and a determined goalline defense that made Dartmouth work enormously hard for their points.
This coming Saturday's NIRA Finals Day matchups are now set after this weekend's semifinals.
Here's what happened:
Harvard and DartmouthHarvard defeated Sacred Heart in impressive fashion 60-5. Sophomore Lennox London scored three tries to lead the Crimson.
Harvard scored at the end of the game to win a key NIRA game on the road at Dartmouth, securing themselves as the #1 seed going into the playoffs.
This was a bit of a slog of a game in cold, wet conditions. While both teams wanted to play some wide open rugby, it wasn't easy to accomplish and as the game progressed it became more of a forwards' game.