The Western Washington University men’s and women’s rugby clubs turned disappointment into triumphs to recently win national titles for the first time.
The top-seeded men featured a strong defense en route to their crown while the women stunned the field at the College Rugby Association of America’s showcase event.
The Vikings men routed Oregon 21-0 on Sunday, May 19, at Western to win the division 1AA 7s title. WWU dominated on its home field by outscoring six opponents 200-34 last weekend.
Charlie Funk scored nine tries (a five-point score similar to a touchdown in American football) and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Teammates Eli Ashmann and Kyle Peter also made the all-tournament team.
In April, Western fell to the University of San Diego 25-24, failing to reach the 15s national championships. USD eventually defeated Iowa State 38-7 to win the title.
“We missed going to the nationals by one point,” lamented Paul Horne, Western’s director of rugby. “We were close to winning two national titles.”
The Vikings then focused on playing host to the national 7s tournament for the first time.
The 7s, which is part of the Summer Olympics, is an abbreviated form of traditional rugby that has 15 players per side. The sped-up game involves seven-player teams competing in 7-minute halves.
Oregon entered the final having shutout four consecutive opponents, including San Jose State 31-0 in a semifinal game. But Horne described his players as determined.
“This was a team that was not going to be denied,” he said.
The Vikings, who finished third nationally in 2023, play an alumni game on June 1 before going on summer break.
The Western women had a more improbable run to the D-1 national title in Houston on May 4 when defeating Colorado State 12-7 in the finale.
On April 21, the Pacific Mountain Rugby Conference champions fell to rival Stanford 33-12 in the semifinals of the 15s regional playoffs.
The Vikings thought their season had ended in defeat until they unexpectedly were invited to Houston to compete in the 7s playoffs.
Coach Kaylie Gladwell said the seniors were saddened by playing in their last game for Western.
“As soon as we heard, the seniors said, ‘Please do it,’” Gladwell said.
“They rallied their team, and took care of all the flight planning.”
The Vikings didn’t have big expectations in their first 7s tournament of the year. Gladwell said coaches put the players through a “crash course” on the subtleties of the 7s game. Sydney Copeland was the only player who had competed in 7s this year.
“We had no idea how that tournament would go,” Gladwell said. “It was just a good opportunity to get our name out there and have fun.”
It proved more than that.
The Vikings went 5-0 in Houston on the way to the title. But it was not easy. Wing Carly Mattson’s late-game heroics led to the championship with the help of Copeland’s assists.
Western overcame a one-point deficit in the semifinals when Mattson scored with 15 seconds left as the Vikings advanced past Air Force, 19-15.
Then the Western junior, in her first year of playing rugby, did it again in the championship. Mattson scored a game-winning try in the final minute against Colorado State for the five-point victory.
“Once the whistle was blown we were shell shocked,” Gladwell said.
Last year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association listed women’s rugby as one of five emerging sports to consider for sanctioning by the governing body.
For now, Western’s teams compete at the club level, meaning they do not receive financial support from the university’s athletic program.
Horne said the national title improves the program’s profile. The exposure is important because coaches recruit players although they cannot offer scholarships.
“We do everything like a varsity sport except getting funded,” he said.
The victories by Western’s clubs come just as the U.S. men’s under-20 team is holding a 10-day training camp at the deWilde Rugby and Polo Fields in Ferndale.
The Americans have a two-game series in June against Canada for a spot in the World Rugby Trophy tournament.
“With the men’s team winning, Bellingham has become a little rugby capital,” Gladwell said.
