CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University women's rugby will welcome nine first-years to the program for the start of the 2022-23 season as part of the incoming Class of 2026, head coach Mel Denham announced on Thursday.
 
Featuring multiple student-athletes who have competed for national team and pathway programs, the group has also experienced some of the highest levels of scholastic play on elite select teams, as well as winning state and tournament titles. The group includes one player from Canada, one from Scotland, two from California and Massachusetts, and one player each from Colorado, New York, and South Carolina.
 
"We are really excited to welcome the Class of 2026 to our Harvard Rugby family this fall," Denham said. "The Class of 2026 brings leadership and rugby experience from national team to club level play. They are an exciting and fun group of players who will fit in perfectly with our returning group and add quality, excitement and pace to our game."
 
Harvard's Class of 2026 includes Cameron Fields (Stockton, Calif.), Charlotte Gilmour (Perth, Scotland), Skylar Jordan (Whitman, Mass.), Lennox London (Fort Mill, S.C.), Sarah Looney (Weymouth, Mass.), Catherine Mignone (Bronxville, N.Y.) Tiahna Padilla (Fallbrook, Calif.), Olyvia Snyder (Silverthorne, Colo.), and Victoria Stanley (Toronto, Ontario).
 
The group joins a Crimson program coming off a successful 2021-22 season in which Harvard reached the national semifinals at the NIRA National Championship during the fall 15s season, and were crowned Ivy 7s Champions this spring as well as national semifinalists at the USA Rugby 7s National Championship.
 
Cameron Fields
Hometown: Stockton, Calif.
High School: St. Mary's
Before Harvard: Earned Team MVP honors as a sophomore and senior … Captained team as a sophomore and senior … Also competed in soccer and track & field … Won league titles in track in the long jump, 100 meters, and 200 meters, reaching the Sa-Joaquin Section Finals in all three events … Set school records in track in the 100 meters, long jump, triple jump, and 4x100-meter relay … Earned Team Offensive MVP accolades in soccer as a junior … Served as a captain for the track team … Played for Mustang Soccer Club, MVLA Soccer Club, and Sac-PAL Amazons … Daughter of Zhauntel and Marcus Fields; Zhauntel ran track at California from 1988-2001 while Marcus played football for California from 1997-2001.
 
Charlotte Gilmour
Hometown: Perth, Scotland
High School: Strathallan School
Before Harvard: Earned selection to the Scotland U18 Rugby Squad from 2019-22 … Won the Scottish Rugby Cup in 2022 with Stirling County RFC … Captained the Strathallan School Girls First XV as a senior … Played for Stirling County RFC (2021-22) as a Number 8 and Tayside Girls Rugby (2019-20) as a Number 8 and Inside Center … Also competed in field hockey; gained selection to the Scottish Hockey Academy in 2021 … Captured the Scottish Schools Indoor Hockey Cup in 2019 and 2020 with Strathallan School alongside a Scottish Schools Cup Hockey title in 2020 … Daughter of Elizabeth and John Gilmour.
 
Skylar Jordan
Hometown: Whitman, Mass.
High School: Whitman-Hanson
Before Harvard: USA Rugby U18 National Team Camp (2021) … Played for New England Free Jacks Academy (2021), Boston Irish Wolfhounds (2019) as a scrumhalf, Rhinos Rugby Academy (2019), South Shore Sharks (2013-18), and Santa Cruz Red Hawks (2017-18) … Participated in the Rhinos Rugby U23 High Performance Program and the Rhinos Rugby High Performance 7s … Took part in the first Major League Rugby Girls Academy with the New England Junior Jacks in 2021 … Won the North America Invitational 7s U18 title with the Rhinos in 2021 … Captured a gold medal at the 2019 Bay State Games U17 Boys division with the Wolfhounds … Competed at the World 10s Championship in Portugal with the Rhinos in 2021 … Reached the finals of the World Youth Rugby Festival in Lisbon, Portugal in 2019 … Also competed in soccer and track & field … Earned the Patriot League Sportsmanship Award in soccer in 2021 … Won a Massachusetts state title in girls soccer with Whitman-Hanson … Daughter of Jennifer Jordan and Christopher Cuddy.
 
Lennox London
Hometown: Fort Mill, S.C.
High School: Fort Mill
Before Harvard: Helped team go undefeated in the 2020-21 season and earn the No. 1 ranking for high school girls teams … Selected for the inaugural U18 Girls 15s team to play Ireland for the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy … Won four NCYRU state titles … Captured four All-City Charlotte Ruggerest Elite championships … Won the 2021 Tropical 7s U18 Elite Girls title … Finished as runners-up in the 2022 Tropical 7s U18 Elite Girls division … Played for Charlotte Junior Rugby Association (2019-21) as a loose/weak flanker and inside/outside center and the Charlotte Cardinals Rugby Club (2021-22) … Served teams as a captain in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, including captaining sides at Tropical 7s in 2021 and 2022 … Part of Fort Mill's Diversity Council … Daughter of Gabrielle and Woolford London … Cousin Charles Allen competed for Canada and Guyana in the Olympics in the 110-meter hurdles.
 
Sarah Looney
Hometown: Weymouth, Mass.
High School: Weymouth
Before Harvard: Earned four varsity letters … Served team as a captain as a senior … Played for South Shore Sirens (2019) as front row, New England Junior Jacks Academy (2020-22) as a prop, and The Rugby Advantage (2022) as a prop … Earned team's Sportsmanship Award in 2019 … National Honor Society and AP Scholar with Distinction student … President of Students Advocating Life without Substance Abuse/Students Against Destructive Decisions as a senior … Daughter of Amy and Joseph Looney.
 
Catherine Mignone
Hometown: Bronxville, N.Y.
High School: Horace Mann School
Before Harvard: Won Team Most Valuable Player honors twice … Helped found the varsity program at Horace Mann … Served Horace Mann as a captain … Played for Morris Rugby, Rhino Rugby Academy, American Rugby Pro Training Center, and Rugby Advantage … Placed third with American Rugby Pro Training Center at Falcon 7s … Finished in second place at North American Invitational 7s … Came in third at New York 7s … Helped Morris Rugby go undefeated in the 2021-22 season … Acted as a captain for Rhino Rugby Academy in 2019 and Rugby Advantage in 2022 … Also competed in cross country and swimming … Earned MVP and Coaches Award honors in cross country … Gained Dedication and Coaches Award accolades in swimming … Daughter of Allison and Roberto Mignone.
 
Tiahna Padilla
Hometown: Fallbrook, Calif.
High School: Fallbrook
Before Harvard: USA U18 and Girls High School All American 2019-21 … Competed at the World 10s Championship in Portugal with the Rhinos in 2021 … Competed for Atlantis 7s Elite … Earned four varsity letters … Played for Fallbrook Girls Rugby Club for seven years as a scrumhalf, fullback, and fly half … Served team as a captain for five years … Won the 2021 Falcons 7s Championship … Captured the 2022 Tropical 7s title … Claimed SoCal Youth Championships every year from 2016-22 … Daughter of Rosemary Fisher.
 
Olyvia Snyder
Hometown: Silverthorne, Colo.
High School: Summit
Before Harvard: Gained First Team All-State honors … Won three state titles … Earned three varsity letters in rugby … Served team as a captain in the fall and spring as a senior … Played for Summit Girls Rugby (2020-22) as a hooker, wing, and center … Also competed in alpine skiing (four letters), soccer (three letters), and track and field (two letters) … Garnered First Team All-State four times in skiing … Won two state titles in skiing … Captained soccer team as a senior … National Merit Finalist, National Honor Society, and Gold Honor Roll student … Daughter of Joanna and Casey Snyder.
 
Victoria Stanley
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
High School: Havergal College
Before Harvard: Rugby Canada Development Academy 2019-21 … Played for Toronto City Amazons (2017-20, 2021), Aurora Barbarians (2020-22), Misfits (2022), Rogues (2018, 2021), Ontario Blues U16 (2018-19), and North American Lions (2019, 2021) … Spent time as a wing, center, fly half, outside center, and fullback … Served teams as a captain at multiple events … Won Eastern National Championships with Ontario Blues U16 in 2018 and 2019 … Captured the provincial title with an undefeated season in 2020 with Aurora Barbarians … Claimed the New York 7s title in 2021 with Rogues … Won a Tropical 7s championship in 2019 … Also competed in cross country, track & field, and squash … Honor Roll student … Daughter of Charlotte and Tim Stanley; Tim played for Western University men's rugby … Great-grandmother Effie Hezzlewood earned induction with the inaugural class in the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame for curling in 1986.