April 23 - Sixteen of the top women’s programs in the country from 10 different states are slated to compete for the top prize at the Collegiate Rugby Championship. Army and Brown come in as the top seeds, the Black Knights having won the inaugural CRC in 2010 and the Bears making their CRC debut. Brown is in its first year under head coach Rosalind Chou, who coached Life University to back-to-back Prusmack Cups in 2016 and 2017.
The Bears are lined up in the West against eighth-seeded Kutztown, winners of the Frostbite 7s, with a potential second-round matchup with either Northern Iowa or Indiana. The Panthers have been riddled with injuries this season, losing four players to torn ACLs, including All-American Aubrey Buresh. If UNI is to improve on their second-round exit last year, captain Annie Henderson will play a big role. 15s national champion Michigan, led by Ember Larson, and Midwest runner-up Iowa State are on the bottom of the bracket, alongside second-seeded Navy and Texas A&M from the Lone Star Conference.
In the East, Army faces first-year program Aquinas in the opening round. In the quarterfinals it could be Big Ten Champion Iowa or Lone Star Champion Southern Nazarene, whose Telesi Uhatafe is a dynamic ball carrier. On the bottom of the bracket are CRC debutants Montana State and Michigan State, as well returning quarterfinalist Virginia Tech and semifinalist Penn State.