UCSB Women’s Rugby celebrates after winning the championship. Courtesy of UCSB Women’s Rugby.

For fourth-year economics and accounting major Amber Lau, a national championship title wasn’t originally on her 2026 bucket list. In its first appearance at a national championship tournament, UC Santa Barbara’s women’s rugby team made history by winning the College Rugby Association of America’s (CRAA) Rugby 7s national title.

“Winning nationals was an insane moment; we never thought it would happen at that point,” Lau said. For the team, making it to a national championship tournament was unexpected..“All of a sudden, we were going to nationals,” Lau said. Beyond preparing physically for the tournament, the team leaned into its close-knit culture. According to Lau, all of her teammates dyed pink streaks into their hair. High-stakes bets were also made. “Now our coach is getting a tattoo … someone is getting a mohawk, and someone’s getting a mullet.” Lau laughed.

The weekend began on Saturday, April 25, at the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) 7s tournament. The Gauchos opened with a 12-0 win over UC Santa Cruz, sweeping the Air Force 33-5 and finishing off with a statement victory of 31-10 over San Jose State. The Gauchos carried their momentum into the Sunday semi-final match against UC Berkeley, narrowly winning 12-10. With a spot in the championship match secured, the Gauchos faced Stanford, dominating with a 22-12 victory. Sweeping through the weekend undefeated, the Gauchos claimed the national championship title, leaving broadcasters stunned. “Who’s UCSB, the dark horse?” Lau recalled hearing broadcasters say.

Younger players were also astonished by the team’s performance at Nationals. “It was so surreal,” said Emily Tucker, a second-year environmental studies and economics major. Both Tucker and Lau entered the tournament with an open mindset. “We play the way we know how to play and see what happens,” Tucker said. Lau, who began playing rugby during her second year at UCSB, said the title was especially meaningful because many players had zero prior experience with rugby prior to joining the team. “I ended up falling in love with the game itself,” Tucker said.

With the tournament taking place in Indianapolis, the team celebrated with some rest during their flight home and reflected on what set them apart. Lau and Tucker attest that the team’s spirit got them through nationals. “Plenty of other teams put in a lot of hard work, just as much hard work as us, but the spirit is what carried us all the way to Nationals and through the champs,” Lau said. Additionally, both athletes attributed their team’s path to victory as built upon teamwork. “The support and love that we have for each other and the passion for the game,” Tucker said. 

Celebrating at home, the Gauchos hosted a local 7s tournament on May 2, inviting five teams from the Pacific Desert conference. “National was such a high-intensity tournament,” Lau said.  “Now, here it is, much lower stakes, and we can just have fun with it.” After an undefeated weekend and a historic title run, UCSB women’s rugby returned home as national champions for the first time in both men’s and women’s program history, demonstrating how Gaucho spirit and teamwork is the key to success.