Sevens Season off to Successful Start
March 24, 2026
by Peter Heimer
“Could not be prouder of the team’s performance so far. Great mixture of experience and youth.” Iowa head coach Tyler Dailey
Two tournaments. Two championships. It’s been a perfect start for the University of Iowa men’s rugby 7s team in 2026, a team hoping to maintain momentum from its historic second-place finish at last year’s CRAA National 7's tournament. The Hawkeyes started the 2026 campaign by taking the title at the Hawkeye Classic 7s, Saturday, February 28. The Hawks followed up that performance with another stellar showing, capturing the crown at the national tournament qualifier City 7s tournament in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Saturday, March 21, punching their ticket to nationals.
At the Hawkeye Classic, Iowa went undefeated in two pool play matches, dispatching UW-Whitewater and Benedictine (Lisle, IL). The semifinals was a rematch of last year’s finals with Iowa getting a measure of revenge by cruising past Iowa Central Community College, 24–5. In the finals, the Hawkeyes faced a big and talented University of Wisconsin team that had manhandled its opponents up to that point. No fear, though, as the Hawks flew past the Badgers for a 21–7 victory. Meanwhile, the Iowa B team also made it to the finals and finished second in the B division, showcasing the depth of the team. Men of the Tournament were Michael Johnson for the A team and Easton Taylor for the B team.
Next, the Hawkeyes traveled to the south suburbs of Kansas City for the City 7s tournament hosted by the Kansas City RFC. This tournament was classified as an automatic qualifier for the CRC national 7s championship tournament and Iowa was eager to earn a return trip to Maryland. A few key players from the first tournament could not make the trip, but the depth of this year’s squad allowed the Hawkeyes to go 5–0 on the day, beating Nebraska in the finals, 28-17, for a satisfying, hard-earned championship. Freshman Nate Kline was named Man of the Tournament for Iowa, with outstanding performances also from Michael Johnson and Abass Kemokai.
The win in Kansas City generated some online notice.
College Rugby Show interviews with Michael and Ren
CRC website write-up “The Iowa Hawkeyes qualified in Kansas City, going 5-0 to claim a Division I-AA bid. Led by Kansas City native Michael Johnson and mercurial talent Ren Heimer, Iowa defeated Nebraska twice, including 28-17 in the final, to book a return trip to the Big Dance.”
National tournament information: April 24-25, 2026, Boyds, MD
CRC website: https://www.collegiaterugbychampionship.com/
Tourney webpage: Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) National 7s tournament webpage
University of Iowa Men’s Rugby Team official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IowaMensRugby
