CAMBRIDGE, Mass. –– The reigning national champion Harvard women's rugby team looks ahead to yet another competitive fall 15's season. The Crimson are set to play in eight regular season games, Head Coach Mel Denham announced on Friday, June 21st. Harvard will host five games at home and travel away for three.

Harvard had a very successful 2023-24 season, ending with a 15's and 7's national championship. This was the first time in program history a team has won both trophies in the same year. In the fall of 2023, the Crimson finished 7-0 in the regular season, along with winning both the semi-final and national championship games. 

Harvard will lose seven seniors, yet will add five new, talented first-year players to the squad. The team captains for the season will be Sofia Hilger, Carly Lehman, and Reese Morgan.

The Crimson's season opener will be at home vs. Mount Saint Mary's University  on August 31st. The following weekend, Harvard faces Quinnipiac (September 7th), whom they beat in the home opener last year. 

It will then travel to Sacred Heart for the first road trip of the year on September 13th. The Crimson returned to Mignone Field the following weekend to face Oxford University, the first match up between the two teams in program history (September 21st).

Harvard travels to Providence, Rhode Island next to face Brown (October 5th). Next, the Crimson host Dartmouth for the annual family and alumni weekend. This will be the first time the teams have faced in 15's play since last year's national championship in which the Crimson won, 20-12.

The final two games of the regular season include a road trip to Queens University (October 19th) and a final home game against Navy (October 26th). 

Following the regular season, the NIRA postseason begins on November 16th with the Semi-Final match, followed by the championship held on November 23rd.