Madison, WI–For the second time in team history (2019), Hamilton’s D1 and D2 sides won the state title in 7s rugby. Hamilton has won every contested D1s title since 2019 (the 2020 7s season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Hamilton has now won five state titles in 7s rugby. This season also marked the first time Hamilton entered three teams in tournament play. Hamilton’s third team, comprised of new and developing players, finished 5th in D2.
Hamilton’s D1 side got off to a strong start, going 3-0 in their first tournament. However, they lost the Capati Cup in an overtime contest for the tournament’s exhibition championship. A bit rattled by the loss and playing in bad weather at their next tournament in Pulaski, the team went 1-1-1, tied for D1’s worst performance at a Wisco-7s tournament. On that day, the team lost to Brookfield and tied Stevens Point, causing them not to advance to the tournament’s exhibition championship, the Kathy Cup. Because of this performance, the team needed to win their last six games to have any chance of winning the state title. The first test was a long road trip to Stevens Point where they won all four games they played. Since they played so many games at the event, they forfeited playing in the tournament’s exhibition championship, the Carrie Diamond Cup, out of respect for player safety. Hamilton then traveled to Madison and defeated Brookfield in a must-win game to take the state title, completing their sweep of the season’s last six games and winning the team’s third D1 7s championship. They set a team record by only allowing 4.5 points per game (ppg). The previous record was 7.5 ppg-allowed in 2021. Their 10-1-1 record was the second best D1 7s season in team history (11-1, 2021).
Hamilton’s D2 side were unstoppable in Wisco-7s play, going undefeated in their first 10 games and sweeping the first three events. By going 11-1, they had the second best D2 season in team history, as only the 2019 team finished without a loss. However, they scored a team recod 25.1 points per game (ppg). The previous record was 22.4 ppg-scored in 2019. The team also allowed on 41 points in 12 games (3.41 ppg), a team record in any 7s division. They shutout a team record 7 of their 12 games. Hamilton lost their only game at the last tournament in Madison to a Muskgeo team who finished 2nd in D2. They earn Hamilton its second state title in D2 7s rugby in three attempts, and their first since 2019.
Hamilton’s second D2 team featured players new or relatively new to the sport. While Hamilton has entered a third side sporatically in Wisco-7s tournaments, they have never fielded a dedicated third side until this season. While the girls finished the first tournament 0-3, they had a close loss to Stevens Point and a respectable loss to Muskego, which gave them confidence heading into future tournaments. The first weekend was the last time they’d finish a tournament with a losing record, as they went 2-1, 2-1, and 1-1 in their last three tournaments. They ended the year with the most wins (5) and points (155) for a second D2 team in Hamilton history, beating out the previous records of 3 wins and 71 points set in 2021.
Hamilton RFC 