NCR Announces 2025 Women's Player Finalists

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) recently unveiled the highly anticipated finalists for the 2025 Women’s Player of the Year Awards, a significant moment broadcast live during the opening day of the Women’s National Championships. This announcement marks a crucial milestone for NCR’s newly established national awards program, designed to elevate and acknowledge the most exceptional collegiate rugby athletes across all divisions. The finalists, representing the crème de la crème of the Fall 25 season, have distinguished themselves through their remarkable skill, leadership, and undeniable impact on their respective programs. Among the talented pool are players like Division I's Lauren Anderson, a tenacious hooker for Southern Nazarene renowned for her unyielding gainline presence, and Division II’s Jude Robinson from Vassar, a phenomenal fullback who amassed an incredible 100 points this season, alongside her teammate Sophia Bailey, Vassar’s all-time leading scorer. Also recognized are Division III’s Tara Bogansky, the catalyst for East Stroudsburg’s record-setting offense, and Division I-AA’s Isabel Henderson of Notre Dame, an athletic mismatch in the forward pack with exceptional length and speed. As NCR Women’s Director Alycia Washington noted, these awards highlight the "extraordinary talent driving the growth of women’s collegiate rugby." A panel of administrators, officials, and coaches will now vote, with winners announced in January, underscoring the vital pipeline of talent flourishing in US collegiate rugby and celebrating the sport's dedicated student-athletes.