GLENDALE, Colo. –
Military rugby took center stage Friday at Infinity Park as the Department of the Air Force and Coast Guard opened the 2026 Armed Forces Men’s Rugby Championship with victories on the first day of RugbyTown 7s.
Air Force faced the Marine Corps in the opening match of the three-day tournament. Air Force Capt. Benjamin Haapapuro of Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, crossed the try line for the first points of the tournament and an early Air Force lead.
The Marine Corps answered quickly when Lance Cpl. Spencer Layne of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, powered in for a try of his own. Both teams converted their opening tries, sending the match into halftime tied 7-7.
After another try apiece and two missed conversions, the match reached the 14-minute mark tied 12-12. Air Force broke the deadlock in the closing seconds when 1st Lt. Elijah Robinson of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, broke through the Marine defense for the deciding try. The conversion sealed a 19-12 Air Force victory and the first win of the tournament.
“It was a good opening game, and it was great to have such good competition right out of the gate,” U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mitchell Jackson of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, said. “Moving forward, we’re going to keep it simple and stick to what we do, and then lay on the gas and don’t come off.”
The Coast Guard and Navy followed in the second match of the day in a showdown between the sea services.
Coast Guard struck first near the three-minute mark when Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Rizzardi of Long Beach, California, broke free on a long run for the opening try. A missed conversion gave Coast Guard an early 5-0 lead.
Navy answered about two minutes later when Lt. Kyle Melvin of Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, finished a wide attack with a try. A successful conversion put Navy ahead 7-5.
After the teams traded scores, the match entered its closing minutes tied 12-12. A Navy yellow card helped swing the momentum toward Coast Guard, which added two late tries, including one by Lt. j.g. Devin Woodworth of Alameda, California, to pull ahead.
Navy added a late try of its own, but Coast Guard held on for a 26-19 victory.
“I think our defense is absolutely where it needed to be, even after we got tired. Our conditioning was on point, and I think our defense won the game for us,” U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Charlie Throne of Portsmouth, Virginia, said. “It’s awesome to win the first game out of the gate, especially after last year, but we’re not letting it get to our heads.”
The opening matches began a weekend featuring 21 teams from around the world competing across five pools at Infinity Park. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Department of the Air Force and Coast Guard make up Pool M, the tournament’s dedicated Armed Forces pool.
Later Friday, defending champion Army opened its tournament against the Marine Corps. Army entered the weekend seeking to defend the Armed Forces title it won in 2025, its 11th championship since the competition shifted to rugby 7s in 2012.
Army 1st Lt. Michael Amberg of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, struck first after breaking a tackle and crossing the try line.
The Marines got on the board, but Army pulled away with a dominating offense to claim a 28-7 victory and begin its title defense at 1-0.
Air Force and Coast Guard, both coming off victories earlier in the day, met next with an opportunity to remain unbeaten.
Coast Guard controlled the first half and carried a 14-0 lead into the break. Before the second half could begin, a thunderstorm moved through Glendale and delayed play for approximately 40 minutes.
Air Force quickly put points on the board after play resumed, but Coast Guard maintained its advantage and closed out a 21-12 victory to improve to 2-0.
As the sun set over Glendale, the final match of the day featured one of the military’s most enduring rivalries, Army versus Navy.
Navy entered the match looking to rebound from its earlier loss to Coast Guard, while Army looked to finish its opening day undefeated.
Army 1st Lt. Patrick Oglesbee of Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, scored twice in the opening five minutes to give Army an early advantage. Navy found the try line in the second half, but Army remained in control and closed the match with a 26-7 victory.
At the end of Day 1, Army and Coast Guard sat atop Pool M with 2-0 records. Army held first place on point differential, outscoring its opponents 54-14. Coast Guard followed at 2-0, with Air Force at 1-1 and Navy and Marine Corps each at 0-2.
Pool play continues Saturday with Marine Corps facing Coast Guard, Air Force taking on Navy, Army meeting Coast Guard, Navy facing Marine Corps and Army closing Armed Forces pool play against Air Force.
RugbyTown 7s traces its roots to military rugby. The tournament began in 2012 with U.S. Armed Forces rugby programs competing at Infinity Park before expanding into an international event featuring teams from around the world.
This year, the Armed Forces teams compete exclusively for the Armed Forces Championship and do not advance into the tournament’s main bracket. Each of the five service teams faces the other four during pool play Friday and Saturday, with results determining seeding for Sunday.
The top two teams in Pool M will meet at 4:15 p.m. Sunday for the Armed Forces Championship. The RugbyTown 7s Cup final will follow at 4:40 p.m.