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Georgia
The Rugby Radar
A ball's eye view from the scrum.
Issue 1 / Vol. 2026 / Apr 28
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A national title in Marietta. A statement at Super Regionals. And every club in the state is suddenly playing 7s.
Big week for Georgia rugby. Life U Women are national champions, Old White MD2 punched a ticket to Chicago Nationals out of Gulf Coast Super Regionals, and Hotlanta 7s just announced a brand-new YOUTH division for July. Spring season is wrapping; 7s season is unmistakably here.
Below: who won, who's transitioning, and what's on the calendar. Plus Lady Trydown on the great GA Pivot.
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🏆 Lead Story
LIFE U WOMEN ARE 2026 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The Running Eagles were up 40-14 on BYU in the CRAA D1 Women's final at Heart Health Park in Sacramento on April 11 when conditions stopped the match. CRAA awarded the title based on the score at stoppage. Marietta has a national title.
Life struck first in the 12th minute (Azhinaye Barner off a turnover), led 26-0 at the break, and finished four tries up at the time of stoppage. Director of Rugby Ryszard Chadwick credited a season's worth of work, and the squad is already running on a national stage in a way no Georgia program has before.
The wider story: Life U Women are running a dual-pathway program, competing simultaneously in CRAA D1 college AND USA Rugby Women's D1 senior club. First college program in the country to do this. As of mid-February they were 4-0 on the senior club side. Watch this space.
Life U Athletics →
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📣 Quick Hits
THE WEEK ACROSS GEORGIA
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Life U Men's run ends in Annapolis. Life led Navy 21-0 in the CRAA D1A semifinal on April 25, then watched the Mids score 35 unanswered. Final 35-21. Season closes 13-3, seventh consecutive semifinal appearance. Navy plays for the national title May 2.
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Old White MD2 punches a ticket to Chicago. Atlanta's senior side rolled Fort Lauderdale Knights 53-24 on Saturday April 25, then shut out HURT 69-0 on Sunday to take the Gulf Coast Super Regional bracket and book USA Club XVs Nationals May 15-17 in Chicago. The defending 2025 national D2 champions are headed back to defend.
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Hotlanta 7s announces a YOUTH division. Brand-new HOTLANTA YOUTH 7s launches alongside the main July 25 event. Hotlanta is the biggest Atlanta 7s tournament of the summer, and now there's a kids' bracket on the same field.
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Peach Pitch 7s confirmed for May 30. Hosted by High Country Women's RFC at 5845 Hillvale Rd in Lithonia. Premier Sponsor Allison Smith Co confirmed. The largest women's-plus 7s tournament in the South.
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2.0 Selects reach the CGRU Women's D2 Final. Atlanta's women's senior side faced Charlotte Olde Originals on April 11 and came up short 35-25 in the final. A program-defining run regardless of the result.
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Atlanta Touch Rugby is up and running. Weekly all-welcome touch sessions at Piedmont Park. No contact, no kit, no commitment. The lowest-barrier way to get on a rugby field this summer. Follow @atltouchrugby for the schedule.
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Hardware on the college side. KSU Women win the Buzz Bowl 7s. UNG Women go 3-2 at Ruck Stock 7s and finish Silver. GCSU Women post a clean match recap with try scorers and Best on Match awards from April 24.
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🎓 College Corner
GA COLLEGES THIS WEEK
LIFE U MEN: WHAT IT WAS, WHAT IT WASN'T
The 21-0 first-half lead in Annapolis is the part that will sit. Navy answered with 35 unanswered points after the break to take it 35-21 and book the national final. Life's season closes 13-3 with a seventh consecutive D1A semifinal. Long view: that's a program. Short view: that one stings.
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KSU WOMEN: BUZZ BOWL CHAMPIONS
The KSU Women's Rugby Club hauled home Buzz Bowl 7s hardware. New 2026-2027 club officers were also rolled out by KSU Men in March; the program is rebuilding leadership while still racking up titles.
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UNG WOMEN: SILVER AT RUCK STOCK
3-2 across the weekend at Ruck Stock 7s, finishing Silver. The men's side is still active through early April, with team photos circulating; both programs heading into the offseason on momentum.
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GCSU WOMEN POST CLEAN RECAP
The Bobcats women's side dropped a tidy April 24 match recap with try scorers, Best on Match, and Forward of Match awards. The kind of post that other programs should steal as a template.
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UGA AND TECH: SEASON CLOSEOUTS
UGA Men posted an end-of-season thank-you on April 20. Georgia Tech Women linked up with Atlanta Harlequins for a joint practice on April 26. The college season is closing across the board; summer 7s is the next chapter.
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🏉 Adult Club Updates
ACROSS THE STATE
OLD WHITE MD2: GULF COAST SUPER REGIONAL
53-24 over Fort Lauderdale Knights on April 25 at The Rugby Ranch. That follows a 32-31 nail-biter over Raleigh Vipers on April 4. Defending 2025 national D2 champions are doing it again. The Women of Old White also closed their season this week with end-of-season tribute posts. A heart-on-sleeve sendoff.
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GA WOMEN'S PREMIER: NEW COACHING STAFF
Georgia Women's Premier Rugby announced new head coach Coach Coop and assistant coach Coach CJ on April 27, plus combine activity. Active program, fresh staff, summer build-up underway.
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CLAYTON RFC: BAHAMAS TOUR
Clayton Rugby Football Club dropped a kit reveal on April 25. The boys are heading to the Bahamas. If your club's biggest season-end ambition was a banquet at a chain restaurant, take notes.
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SAVANNAH SHAMROCKS: BACK-TO-BACK GRU CHAMPIONS
2026 GRU Men's D3 champs, on top of 2025. The postseason ended in a loss to a NOLA side. The big year is the trophy at home; the postseason was always going to be the harder bracket.
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EVERYBODY ELSE IS PLAYING 7S NOW
Athens Eagles announced a 7s transition. Macon Love is running 7s practices on Tuesdays. High Country Women closed their 15s season at the True South playoffs in Knoxville and are tagged in the upcoming Peach Pitch 7s. Augusta Furies are deep in 7s buildup with new content this week. Atlanta Harlequins linked up with Georgia Tech Women for a joint practice on April 26.
Atlanta 2.0 Selects came through the CGRU final and are pivoting to summer. Atlanta Premier Rugby reposted around the Gulf Coast Super Regional bracket. The state has gone 7s. Plan accordingly.
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Beyond the pitch
EXILES BACKS SOUTH GEORGIA WILDFIRE RELIEF
South Georgia communities are facing devastating wildfires this spring. Exiles RFC (Alpharetta) has launched a relief campaign, targeting $5,000 for affected families. This is what the Georgia rugby community looks like beyond the pitch. Reach Exiles to give or get involved →
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🏆 Tournament Watch
WHAT'S COMING
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Saturday, May 30 • Lithonia, GA
PEACH PITCH 7S
Hosted by High Country Women's RFC at 5845 Hillvale Rd. Premier Sponsor: Allison Smith Co. Billed as the largest women's-plus 7s in the South. Watch @peachpitchrugby7s for divisions and registration.
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Saturday, July 25 • Atlanta
HOTLANTA 7S (NOW WITH YOUTH)
Atlanta's biggest 7s tournament. Divisions: HS, College, Men's Social, Women's Social. USA Rugby sanctioned. Athletic trainer on-site. All players need current CIPP. Registration is OPEN.
New for 2026: HOTLANTA YOUTH 7s launches alongside the main event. First edition. If you have rugby kids, this is a must-watch.
Hotlanta 7s →
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May 3-6 • New Orleans, LA
USA CLUB SUPER REGIONALS CONTINUE
CGRU clubs head to NOLA for the next round of postseason. Watch the local pro pathway play out: Atlanta sides have already made noise this spring, and the bracket runs all weekend.
Watch via CRAA Stream Hub →
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May 15-17 • Chicago
USA CLUB RUGBY XVS NATIONALS
National championship weekend at the Chicago Blaze Rugby Complex in Lemont, IL. Atlantic conference top four advance. Old White MD2 punched their ticket out of Gulf Coast Super Regionals and will be there to defend their 2025 D2 title. Track Atlanta Harlequins Women too if they advance.
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May 21-23 • Elkhart, IN
BOYS HS NATIONALS
24 teams across Club and Single-School brackets. Applications were open earlier this spring. If a Georgia HS side made the cut, we want to know.
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Wrapped Last Weekend • Maryland SoccerPlex
NCR NATIONAL 7S RECAP
Wheeling won the Men's Premier Cup (third straight). Brown won the Women's Premier (fourth straight). 144 teams across eight divisions. Georgia programs did not surface in podium results this year. Something to chase in 2027.
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💬 Whispers from the Touchline
Lady Trydown
The anonymous dispatch on Georgia rugby. All rumor, all hearsay, all in good fun.
Dearest Reader,
It seems every club in the state has, in the span of approximately seventy-two hours, declared the arrival of 7s season as if the discovery were entirely their own. Reels were filmed. Captions were written. Cones were placed in slightly different patterns. This Author finds the synchronicity remarkable, in the way one finds it remarkable when seven different friends order the chicken sandwich.
A particularly enthusiastic transition came from a north Georgia women's side, who, having concluded their 15s campaign in Knoxville, returned home and posted three separate "we're back!" graphics in two days. Darlings, the audience knows. The audience has been waiting. You may simply tell us when practice is.
Elsewhere, an adult men's side was overheard at a recent fixture explaining that 7s is "really just 15s with fewer mistakes." This Author submits the counter-thesis: 7s is fifteen-a-side rugby with all the same mistakes, simply more visible.
A different little bird tells us a touch program in a downtown park has been quietly gathering steam for several weeks now. No contact, no kit, no commitment. The newcomers, this Author is told, vastly outnumber the regulars. Word travels. So do players, when the field is right.
And one final whisper, on a more tender note: a number of women's clubs have spent this past week posting end-of-season tributes for their seniors. The format varies, the message does not. Be good to one another out there. The squad you remember is the squad that remembered you back.
Until next week. Remember to switch boots when the surface changes.
xo, Lady Trydown
Need to get something off your chest? Whisper it to Lady Trydown: Email Lady Trydown • @LadyTrydown on Instagram. All sources remain anonymous. Obviously.
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🎓 Train Up
GET CERTIFIED
Every club needs more refs. Every club needs more coaches. GA Youth Rugby reimburses certification costs for active referees and coaches. Register through your USA Rugby Learning Center via Rugby Xplorer.
| THIS SATMay 2 • L1 Referee • Atlanta Rugby Grounds • $85 |
| May 23 • L1 Referee • Life University • $85 |
| Jun 25 • L1 Coach • Atlanta • $125 |
| Jul 23 • L1 Coach • Atlanta • $125 |
| Jul 23-24 • L2 Coach (2-day) • Atlanta |
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🏉 New to Rugby?
FIND A YOUTH CLUB
Boys, girls, all ages. Every club below welcomes beginners. No experience needed.
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🏉 Still Playing After 18?
FIND AN ADULT CLUB
Men's and women's clubs across the state. Whether you played in college, played as a kid, or never touched a ball, there's a squad for you.
| Atlanta Old White RFC • Atlanta • Men D2/D3, Women, 7s |
| Atlanta Harlequins Women's RFC • Atlanta • Women's D1 • Only D1 women's team in the Southeast |
| Gwinnett Lions RFC • Lilburn • Men, Women |
| Exiles RFC • Alpharetta • Senior men's |
| Atlanta Bucks RFC • Atlanta • Men's inclusive club |
| High Country RFC • North Georgia • Men's D3, Women |
| Savannah Shamrocks RFC • Savannah • Men's, Women's • Back-to-back GRU D3 champs |
| Atlanta Touch Rugby • Piedmont Park • Weekly all-welcome touch • New @atltouchrugby |
| Full GRU member club list: georgiarugby.org/clubs |
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First TRY Discount
PUT YOUR CLUB ON THE RADAR
A standout card all your own. Logo, website, schedule link, socials. In front of every rugby family in Georgia, every Tuesday.
$100 through Dec 31, 2026. First come, first served.
Claim Your Spot →
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📅 Mark Your Calendars
DATES THAT MATTER
| May 2 • L1 Ref Course • Atlanta |
| May 3-6 • USA Club Super Regionals • New Orleans |
| May 5 • NAI15s Registration Closes • nai7s.com |
| May 15-17 • USA Club Rugby XVs Nationals • Chicago |
| May 21-23 • Boys HS Nationals • Elkhart, IN |
| May 23 • L1 Ref Course • Life University |
| May 30 • Peach Pitch 7s • Lithonia, GA |
| Jun 25 • L1 Coach Course • Atlanta |
| Jul 23 • L1 Coach Course • Atlanta |
| Jul 23-24 • L2 Coach Course • Atlanta |
| Jul 25 • Hotlanta 7s + new Hotlanta YOUTH 7s • Atlanta |
| Dec 7-8 • Greer Christmas 7s • Greer, SC (HS) |
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One More Thing
Don't miss next Tuesday's issue
Free. Every Tuesday evening. Every club, every level, every age across Georgia.
SUBSCRIBE →
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GOT A TIP? HOSTING AN EVENT?
Send us your events, corrections, news, and tips. Tournament results, club updates, coaching announcements, alumni news. If it's rugby in Georgia, we want to hear it.
Email the Radar →
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THE RUGBY RADAR
A ball's eye view from the scrum.
Issue 1 • April 28, 2026 • therugbyradar.com
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