Army outlasts Air Force in Armed Forces Women’s Rugby Championship

CHULA VISTA, Calif. - Pushed to their limits by service rival Air Force, Army's women's rugby players summoned their inner strength one more time in the championship match of the 2025 Armed Forces Women's Rugby tournament Sunday.

Army had already overcome halftime deficits in wins against Navy and Coast Guard earlier in the tournament.

The All-Air Force team, bolstered by an influx of new talent, gave Army its best shot, scoring two first half tries. Down 14-5 at halftime, the Soldiers put their faith in their game plan, the players said.

Army (5-0) erupted for two second half scoring tries and withstood a furious Air Force attack to win their fifth Armed Forces Rugby Championship in dramatic fashion 15-14 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.

"That was probably the hardest fight Army has ever had going into the championship game," said scrum-half, Army Sgt. 1st Class Lolita Galdones. "I think the stakes were very high. I think [we] really just focused on and remembered our game."

Kaity Schwarting, a Black Hawk pilot stationed at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, fed winger Annie Lee who scored on a try along the left sideline to cut the deficit to 14-10. Then Staff Sgt. Katie Leadbetter, a Soldier from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, broke an Air Force tackle and sprinted for the championship-clinching score.

"The thing that I am most proud of is just their resiliency and composure when those moments got tough," Army coach Kaitlyn Kelly said. "When their backs were up against it they found a way."

As the popularity of women's rugby continues to grow across the nation, each of the U.S. military branches have bolstered their rosters.

The All-Air Force team (3-2) featured players with national and international playing experience, including U.S. national team member Kelsie O'Brien. After outscoring Coast Guard and the Marines a combined 51-7 in the two games, Air Force looked primed for their Sunday matchups with Army. Air Force dealt Army its only loss in the program's six-year history in the 2023 Armed Forces championship game.

"They've been our closest competition for the past six years," Galdones said. "They have a lot of skill, they have a lot of talent. They have a ton of players who continually develop themselves."

Earlier in the day, Army didn't relent in a 27-0 blitz of Air Force in their final match of the round robin tournament.

Army controlled the entire match and the Soldiers' defense also stifled Air Force's skilled front line shutting down most tries.

The key to Army's success? The players said the team competes as one, sacrificing scoring or individual achievement for the benefit of the team. Wing Charisma Henry, a bruising, physical runner, also contributed with key scores in Army's 29-0 win over the Marine Corps and another score in the earlier 27-0 win over Air Force.

"We really worked together as a team and relied on each other," said Lee, who earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. "We lifted each other up when we needed it."

Lee returned to the Rugby after walking away from the sport 12 years ago following a successful stint at the U.S. Military Academy. Lee served as a field artillery officer before joining the Army Reserve as a logistician. She also helps manage her family's business, Morgan Winery in Carmel, California.

"Even when we were down, we could trust each other to do what was needed on the pitch."

Lee tried out for the team to set an example for her daughter and to be a compete in high level Rugby again.

First Lt. Naomi Colin, an Army Ranger from Fort Hood, Texas, also received All-Tournament honors. Colin played through a painful injury she suffered in the match's first minute. Colin also took a crucial role in becoming the tournament's most accurate conversion kicker and scored on a try in Army's first win over Air Force earlier in the day.

"She's a key piece of our system," Kelly said. "She put her body on the line and didn't want me to take her out."

Although mission requirements and training schedules can impact players' availability, Kelly remains confident that Army can continually field a talented roster. The team has featured some of the nation's top rugby players including 2024 Olympian Sammy Sullivan and Sgt. Nana Fa'avesi. Fa'avesi helped lead Army to last year's Armed Forces Championship and made the U.S. National Team's World Cup roster in 2025.

"I think a lot of the individuals that have been through the program really buy into the legacy that we want to create and maintain," Kelly said. "Everyone who has been in the jersey has left [the program] better than how they found it."

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