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Logo for West Coast Sevens, a Rugby Sevens Tournament in vibrant coastal colors.

Why Women's Rugby Sevens Is the Fastest-Growing Story in the Sport



At West Coast Sevens, we've watched our women's & girl’s divisions grow year over year, and we don't think that's a coincidence. Women's rugby sevens is having a moment nationally  and we're proud to be part of giving it a stage.


A Historic Olympic Run


📸 Mike Lee - KLC fotos for World Rugby, Credit: KLCfotos, Creator: Mike Lee
📸 Mike Lee - KLC fotos for World Rugby, Credit: KLCfotos, Creator: Mike Lee

Much of the current momentum traces back to Paris. Our USA Women's Eagles Sevens team made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning a bronze medal and their first-ever Olympic medal in rugby, with a dramatic, last-second win over Australia. It capped a string of strong results for the program: the Eagles have competed at three Summer Olympics and, back in 2019, became just the fifth team ever to win a World Series tournament.


That Olympic breakthrough didn't just make headlines, it changed who's picking up a rugby ball!  In the 2024-25 season, girls' high school registrations in the fall exceeded boys' registrations for the first time in USA Rugby history, a shift credited in part to the momentum from that Paris bronze medal.


"We wanted to do this to show what rugby could be in America... I think today really made the jersey better so that other young girls can grow up wanting to play rugby." — Ilona Maher, USA Women's Sevens 


From Youth Fields to College Programs


The growth isn't limited to the international stage. Youth and high school rugby registrations topped 50,000 nationally in 2024, up 12% year-over-year, and women's programs are a major part of that expansion. Rugby sevens has become the format most responsible for bringing new athletes, especially those new to rugby entirely- thanks to its faster pace and shorter matches.


At the collegiate level, that growth has real infrastructure behind it now. The 2026 Collegiate Rugby Championship National 7s, the largest collegiate rugby event, features the top 60 women's teams in the country, and it recently partnered with a women's sports network for global broadcast,  a move organizers say will showcase the growth of the American women's game to millions of viewers worldwide.

📸 Alex Ho Photography
📸 Alex Ho Photography

We see the same trend up close every season. Our Women's Collegiate division has been growing, and we're committed to expanding it across all three of our stops. 


"Our Women's Collegiate division started as just a few teams looking for a place to compete. Watching it grow into a real presence across multiple stops has been one of the most rewarding parts of building this tournament and we're just getting started. Our goal is to keep expanding opportunities for women's & girls rugby every year."- West Coast 7’s Organizers 


Why It Matters for the Next Generation

For us, this isn't just about bigger numbers, it's about opportunity. Every young woman and girl who plays in a West Coast Sevens tournament is playing in front of college and national team coaches, in a format that's now an Olympic sport, at a moment when the pathway from youth rugby to college rugby to the national team has never been more real.


We think that's exactly why events like ours matter: they give players a competitive, well-run stage to be seen, to grow, and to see themselves as part of a sport on the rise.


Looking Ahead

Women's rugby sevens isn't a side story in American rugby anymore, it's one of the sport's biggest growth engines. We're proud to give our Women's collegiate & Girl’s high school teams a platform across select 2026 stops, and we're looking forward to seeing that growth continue.



Follow us on Instagram @westcoast7s and check back on this page for schedules, results, and livestream links as each stop approaches.


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