394 of the top players and coaches in all of college rugby descend on Silverbacks Park in Atlanta Saturday for the Women\u2019s All-Star Championship. Originally slated as a two-day event, due to inclement weather, the schedule has been shifted for all the rugby to be played Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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For the first time, Women\u2019s All-Star weekend will include both XVs and 7s, with four sides vying for the inaugural XVs title and 17 conferences fielding 7s teams. The Hawks, Bison, Stars and Stripes will play a round-robin slate of 40-minute matches, with the top of the table taking home the hardware. The 7s field will be split into six pools, with the winner of each advancing to the knockout stages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Head coaches of the XVs sides drafted their players – Virginia\u2019s Nancy Kechner selected the Stripes, Southern Nazarene\u2019s Tom Willoughby picked the Hawks, Penn State\u2019s Lauren Shissler put the Bison together, and Endicott\u2019s Carly Baker drafted the Stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Wheeling standout Alexis Dallas headlines the Stars, having led the Cardinals to the 2024 national title. She\u2019s joined by three Wheeling teammates \u2013 Emerson Callegari, Payton Olivas and Joelle Taylor. The Stars also boast Division II Player of the Year finalist Kate Boggs (Coast Guard) and DI finalist Natalie Lamar (St. Bonaventure), as well as several All-Americans, like Baldwin-Wallace\u2019s Molly Cancian and Northeastern\u2019 Kourtney Bichotte-Dunner.<\/p>\n
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The Stars open up against the Bison Saturday, who are also loaded with talent. DIII POY finalist Julia Nilsen (East Stroudsburg) is in the front row, alongside Southern Nazarene\u2019s Palu Sau. She\u2019s joined by two other national champions from the Crimson Storm, lock Aneesah Herrera and wing Jaylyn Isaacs. Penn State fullback Jessica Ciaffi, Walsh scrumhalf Hannah Mitchell and Michigan flanker Anna Rimatzki should also make big contributions for the Bison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The Hawks have strong contingencies from the last two DI national champions, with six Wheeling Cardinals and five Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm. SNU flanker Riley Erickson and flyhalf Ireland Jeffrey will be impact players, as will Wheeling fullback Tamzin Boyce and second row Emma Tai. Brown hooker Caitlin Moroney and Penn State flanker Danica Luzak are very good in the pack, DIII POY finalist Tara Bogansky (Endicott) is a threat in the midfield, and DII finalist Sophia Bailey (Vassar) is an elite link between the two.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Facing the Hawks first Saturday are the Stripes, led by Virginia fullback Kate Delaney and DI POY finalist Lauren Anderson (Southern Nazarene). They\u2019re flanked by All-Americans in Ohio State flanker Ada Erhart and Notre Dame lock Megan Tremblay. In total, the Stripes have five players with national championship experience, including Wheeling\u2019s Nisaiah Berkeley and Northeastern\u2019s Kyra Grimes and Sierra Palecek.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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In 7s, Lonestar is aiming to repeat as champions. With DI POY candidate Telesi Uhatafe on the roster, that\u2019s a realistic goal. The Armadillos are paired in Pool A with Florida and Prairie States.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
North Atlantic looks like the favorite in Pool B, anchored by Endicott standouts Colleen Mitchell and Laryssa Landmesser. They\u2019re up against Cascade and Prairie States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Pool C has just two teams \u2013 Rugby Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Towson\u2019s Kelly Greenleaf is a standout for the MARC, and the RNE team boasts five players from reigning XVs and 7s champ Northeastern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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D may be the pool of death, with POY finalists on both the Big Ten (Notre Dame\u2019s Isabel Henderson) and High Peaks (Colorado School of Mines\u2019 Piper Lee and Colorado\u2019s Lucia Hoffman). Notre Dame All-American Mia Blocher is also on the Big Ten, adding to the star-power of the pool.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Pool E has some serious talent, too, like the Midwest\u2019s trio of Iowa\u2019s Gillian McRae and Northern Iowa\u2019s Morgan Linck and Macie Graves. They\u2019re paired with the Mid-America, headlined by Drury\u2019s Lauren Thomlison, and the Tri-State, led by Siena\u2019s Tallulah Powers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The Allegheny, Upstate New York and Great Waters conferences make up Pool F. The latter is anchored by a strong contingent from perennial power Wisconsin Eau Claire, and the former boasts players from nine different programs. Kyla Nentarz headlines a healthy chunk of St. Bonaventure players for Upstate New York, with multiple representatives from Cortland, Niagara and Clarkson, as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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All stadium matches will be streamed live on NCR TV,<\/a> and all matches on the outer field will be available via Veo on National Collegiate Rugby<\/a>\u2019s YouTube.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u200d<\/p>\n