San Diego Surfers Rugby 2026 Recap
- Editor
- 1 day ago
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2026 ANNUAL REPORT
ONE CLUB. TWO NATIONAL TOP-FOUR FINISHES. A YEAR OF GROWTH.
The 2026 season was a historic one for the San Diego Surfers Women’s Rugby Club. The Surfers finished Top 4 in the nation in both D1 15s and 7s in the same year — making the Surfers the only women’s rugby club in the country to accomplish that feat in 2026. The last time the Surfers won a 15s and 7s season within the same year was in 2018 against Glendale Raptors in WPL 15s and against Scion Sirens in 7s.
But the 2026 season was about more than results on the field. It was a year of new leadership, competitive growth, community involvement, youth development, and building the foundation for an even bigger future.
2026 SURFERS WRAPPED
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
D1 15s — TOP 4 IN THE NATION
The Surfers D1 program faced one of the toughest roads to Nationals in the country. While many clubs face either a regular season with playoffs or a single regional match before Nationals, the Surfers had to navigate a longer regular-season competition, playoffs, and a two-game regional championship path to earn their place on the national stage.
Their 2026 season consisted of 6 regular season games against Tempe, Santa Monica and Belmont and 3 additional friendly games against Lifewest, All Blues and Philly RFC.
At Regionals, San Diego defeated two historic programs — Seattle (35 - 5) and the All Blues (48 -22) — to secure a spot at Nationals.
With the regionals victory it set the semifinal matchup against the defending D1 National Champions, the Utah Vipers.
THE 2026 NATIONALS ROSTER
Forwards
Alexa Scott (C)
Annika Santos
Eleanor Amidei
Jada Blair
Julia Buescher
Talia Carrasquillos
Kaylee Westmoreland
Jessica Skinner
Isabelle Sandoval
Kimmay Tran
Ky Hernandez
Bryt Felder-Brown
Danielle Sileo
Morgan Bundy
Christy Xie
Kinsey Claudino
Dani Ash
Backs
Wing Ly
Natalie Figueroa
Ashley Torrecillas
Kyla Letoi
Cathy Cai
Sheree Collins
Tia Blythe (C)
Solana Shimura
Amy Verdonik
Kayla Walker
Kanausha Thompson
The Surfers ultimately came up short 19 - 29 against Utah, finishing Top 4 in the nation but still proving that San Diego belongs among the country's elite women's rugby programs.
D1 SCORING LEADERS
CONVERTED KICKS
Natalie Figueroa — 30
Kaylee Westmoreland — 15
Amy Verdonik — 5
Solana Shimura — 1
TRIES
Sheree Collins — 14
Julia Buescher — 8
Kyla Letoi — 7
Alexa Scott — 7
Ashley Torrecillas — 6
Amy Verdonik — 5
Kayla Walker — 4
Cathy Cai — 4
Natalie Figueroa — 4
Wing Ly — 3
Annika Santos — 2
Tia Blythe — 2
Eleanor Amidei • Jada Blair • Talia Carrasquillo • Ky Hernandez • Unique Rowan • Solana Shimura • Christy Xie — 1 each
7s — TOP 4 IN THE NATION
The Surfers entered the 7s season with two women's squads: Competitive and Social.
The Competitive squad dominated SoCal competition, winning all qualifying tournaments and social tournaments.
Sunsplash 7s Champion
W 29–0 vs Santa Monica Dolphins
W 24–12 vs Belmont Whales
W 42–10 vs West Coast Marines
W 26–7 vs Temecula Mountain Lions
Surf n Turf 7s Champion
W 31-5 vs Silicon Valley
L 17-19 vs Belmont Tide
W 38-10 vs West Coast Marines
W 19-14 vs Santa Monica Dolphins
Santa Monica 7s Champion
W 26-0 vs Santa Monica A
W 53-0 vs Santa Monica B
W 38-5 vs Belmont
W 40-7 vs Santa Monica A
Oasis Champion 7s Champion
W 45-0 vs OP Lightning
W 43-0 vs Magandaquins
W 43-0 vs San Fernando Valley
W 45-0 vs Santa Monia
W 45-0 vs Belmont
The Social squad aka the Jellies competed throughout the season at:
Ventura 7s
Surf n Turf 7s
Oasis 7s
This two-team model allowed the Surfers to create competitive opportunities for experienced players while continuing to welcome athletes at different stages of their rugby journey.
7s NATIONALS
The Competitive 7s squad brought together a powerful mix of veteran leaders and rookie standouts.
THE 2026 NATIONALS ROSTER
Natalie Figueroa
Lauren Thunen
Kendall Smith
Julia Buescher
Eleanor Amidei
Bella Abelman
Ashley Torrecillas (C)
Mia Taylor
Jayna Schalesky
Pearl Ng
Amy Verdonik
Lilly Thomas
Kayla Walker (C)
Pool Play
W 10 - 5 vs ORSU Jesters
W 50 - 0 vs Colorado Gray Wolves
L 10 - 15 vs Chicago Lions
The Surfers achieved second place in their pool and advanced to the quarterfinals. This accomplishment increased both the Surfers' and all-teams' records for the most cup quarterfinals to 13 and the most cup semifinals to 9. This means the Surfers have progressed beyond pool play and past the first round more times than any other women's club, highlighting the teams' consistent performance.
Knockout Round
W 12 - 0 Quarter Finals vs Washington Athletic Club
L 0 - 24 Semi Finals vs Chicago Lions
L 5 - 14 3rd Place Match vs Chicago North Shore
Highlights from the weekend featured: Natalie Figueroa with strategically placed kicks to outmaneuver the defense. Powerful hits and impressive runs by Jayna Schalesky. Rookie Mia Taylor demonstrated remarkable footwork and speed, scoring a hat trick against Colorado. Another newcomer, Lilly Thomas, showcased excellent awareness on both offense and defense.
The Surfers finished fourth out of the top 16 teams and showed up and showed out, showing why they are part of the top 4 teams in the country and have also increase the total record 7s national wins of any women's team to 64.
2026 HIGHLIGHTS
TWO NATIONAL TOP-FOUR FINISHES
The biggest achievement of the year: Top 4 nationally in both D1 15s and 7s.
The only women's rugby club in the country to accomplish this in 2026.
SUCCESSFUL REGULAR SEASONS
The 7s competitive side won every SoCal tournament they attended with only 1 loss out of 17 matches in all 4 tournaments. D1 15s were undefeated in the regular season with 6 total wins and a 266 point differential.
BEATING SOME OF THE BEST
The D1 side defeated historic programs Seattle (35 - 5) and the All Blues (48 - 22) at Regionals and making it back to Nationals after missing it in 2025. Faced the defending national champions, Utah Vipers, in the semifinal but lost 19 - 29.
SURF N TURF BIGGER & BETTER
The Surfers hosted the 4th Annual Surf n Turf Tournament, bringing together:
Competitive Women's
Social Women's
Men's Social
Girls High School
Surf n Turf continues to serve as a major event for San Diego rugby and an opportunity to grow the sport across multiple level, bringing in 4 brackets, 19 teams, and over 220 ruggers.
🇵🇭 BUILDING INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS
The Surfers welcomed the Magandaquins, the Philippine Women's National Team Pathway Program, for a joint practice.
The event created an opportunity to connect players, develop talent, and celebrate the growing Filipino rugby community.
PROGRAM DEPTH & PLAYER GROWTH
A DEEPER SURFERS PROGRAM
The success of 2026 was powered by a deep and committed group of athletes across both seasons.
Approximately 53 players committed to the D1 15s season, providing the depth necessary to navigate one of the most demanding paths to Nationals in women's club rugby.
The Surfers carried that depth into the 7s season, with approximately 37 players committed across the Competitive and Social 7s programs.
The ability to field both competitive and social teams gave more athletes the opportunity to compete, develop, and stay connected to the club throughout the year.
2026 WOMEN'S PROGRAM
77+ Active Surfers
53 D1 15s Players Committed
37 7s Players Committed
2 7s Women's Squads
1 D2 Program Being Built
This depth is one of the most exciting indicators of the future of Surfers women's rugby. With strong player interest already supporting the launch of a D2 squad in 2027, the club is creating more opportunities for athletes at every level to find a place within the Surfers program.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
MORE THAN A RUGBY CLUB
The Surfers continued to strengthen their presence throughout San Diego in 2026.
TEAM & COMMUNITY EVENTS
The club came together for team outings and community-building events including:
🏐 San Diego Mojo Volleyball
⚾ San Diego Padres
🥍 San Diego Seals Lacrosse
🏉 USA 7s Watch Party — Beachcomber
🍺 D1 Nationals Send-Off — Little Bird Brewing
🏳️ One of Us Women's Sports Bar Opening
These events helped strengthen relationships within the club while supporting fellow San Diego sports organizations and local businesses.
SUNDAY RUN CLUB
RUN TOGETHER. BUILD TOGETHER.
In 2026, the Surfers launched a weekly Sunday morning Run Club, open to the broader community.
The goal was simple: create another way for athletes, supporters, and San Diego runners to get active together and connect with the Surfers outside of rugby.
The Run Club is another example of the Surfers' commitment to making the club accessible beyond game day.
GIVING BACK
SERVING SAN DIEGO
The Surfers continued their commitment to community service through volunteer events throughout the year. A few highlights from the year:
🥫 SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK
Players volunteered their time supporting food distribution and hunger-relief efforts in the San Diego community.
🌊 OCEAN CONNECTORS
The Surfers participated in environmental volunteer efforts with Ocean Connectors, helping support conservation and the health of San Diego's coastal environment.
👚 CLOTHING SWAP
The Surfers participated in a community Clothing Swap hosted at WeBeOB, helping keep clothing in circulation while collecting donations benefiting women's shelters.
SURFERS YOUTH RUGBY CAMP
On September 5, the Surfers will host the Surfers Youth Rugby Camp, welcoming athletes ages 5–23.
The camp is designed to introduce, develop, and inspire the next generation of rugby players while creating a stronger pathway from youth rugby into the Surfers program.
From first-time players to experienced athletes, the goal is to make rugby accessible, competitive, and fun.
2027: WHAT'S NEXT?
THE NEXT CHAPTER STARTS NOW.
After a historic 2026, the Surfers are already preparing for an even bigger 2027.
LAUNCHING D2 WOMEN'S RUGBY
The biggest addition to the program will be the launch of a D2 women's squad.
Player interest is already strong enough to fill a roster, and the club has a coach ready to help lead the new team.
D2 will create another competitive pathway for women looking to play rugby while expanding the depth and long-term sustainability of the Surfers women's program.
D1 15s RETURNS
D1 preseason begins this fall as the Surfers prepare to build on their Top 4 national finish.
With a new season comes another opportunity to compete for the highest level of women's club rugby in the country.
NEW CLUB LEADERSHIP
The Surfers will hold their Annual General Meeting on September 19, where members will:
Elect new Executive Committee members
Nominate captains for the upcoming season
Help shape the direction of the club moving forward
Recap the year and go over what's to come
MORE COMMUNITY IMPACT
The Surfers will continue expanding:
Volunteer opportunities
Youth rugby
Community events
Run Club
Fundraisers
Local sports partnerships
Women's rugby development
THE SURFERS IN 2026
2026 proved that the San Diego Surfers are capable of competing at the highest level while continuing to grow as a club.
We finished Top 4 nationally in both D1 15s and 7s.
We won tournaments.
We won games.
We developed new players.
We welcomed new members.
We supported fellow San Diego sports organizations.
We volunteered in our community.
We hosted youth and social rugby.
We welcomed the next generation.
And we started building something even bigger.
2026 WAS HISTORIC
2027 WILL BE EVEN BIGGER
Ride the Wave.
San Diego Surfers Rugby Club
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