GLENDALE, Colo. –
Army continued its domination of Armed Forces men’s rugby Sunday, defeating Coast Guard 50-0 at Infinity Park to claim its fifth consecutive Armed Forces Rugby Sevens Championship and 12th title since the competition moved to the sevens format in 2012.
Army entered the championship match undefeated through pool play and facing a Coast Guard team making its first appearance in an Armed Forces men’s sevens championship match.
It did not take long for the defending champions to take control.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jonathan Haley of Fort Hood, Texas, crossed the try line in the opening seconds of the match, setting the tone for an attack that kept Coast Guard under pressure throughout the first half.
Army continued to find openings in the Coast Guard defense, carrying a 24-0 lead into halftime and never allowing Coast Guard to establish enough momentum to answer.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Patrick Oglesbee of Fort Stewart-Hunter Air Field, Georgia, scored twice in the first half and U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mattie Tago of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, scored two tries in the second half as Army continued to pile on the points.
When the final whistle sounded, Army had completed the 50-0 shutout and another undefeated run through the Armed Forces Championship.
“The process is the prize. When you get the process right, the results will follow, and that motivates us to keep becoming better men,” Oglesbee said. “These guys have been a big part of my journey, and it’s an honor to win this championship alongside them.”
The victory gives Army 12 of the 14 Armed Forces men’s 7s championships contested since the format was introduced in 2012. Army won seven consecutive titles from 2013 through 2019 before opting out of the 2021 championship. The Soldiers returned to the top in 2022 and have held the title ever since.
For Coast Guard, the silver-medal finish marked a milestone of its own.
After finishing fifth in 2025, Coast Guard opened this year’s tournament with victories over Navy and Air Force on Friday. The team finished pool play 2-2, earning second place and its first trip to the Armed Forces championship match since the competition moved to 7s.
“I’m so proud of this team! It’s the farthest we’ve even gotten and I’m so proud of these guys,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j. g. Conroy O’Donnell of San Francisco said. “We’re going to train hard, come back here next year faster and stronger, and chase that gold.”
Following the match, Glendale Mayor Mike Dunafon congratulated both teams as Army and Coast Guard players received their gold and silver medals.
Earlier Sunday, Navy and the Department of the Air Force met in the third-place match after taking different paths through pool play.
Air Force entered the tournament after finishing second to Army in 2025, while Navy opened this year’s competition with back-to-back losses before fighting its way into the third-place matchup.
With both teams evenly matched, they struggled to find an advantage through the opening seven minutes.
On the final push of the first half, just after the 7:00 mark, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Eric Wills of Los Angeles, California, broke the scoreless tie with a try, sending Air Force into halftime with a 5-0 advantage.
In the second half, Navy answered shortly after the 10-minute mark when U.S. Navy Lt. Jackson Welch of Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Virginia, pushed through the defense and crossed the try line. The successful conversion put Navy ahead 7-5.
Air Force mounted one final attack in the closing seconds and appeared poised to retake the lead near the Navy try line.
Instead, Navy forced a turnover, placing the ball in Welch’s hands once more. Taking full advantage of the moment, he broke away in a sprint for a second try to end the match. The ensuing conversion gave Navy a 14-5 victory and third place in the Armed Forces Championship.
The comeback completed a turnaround for a Navy team that began the weekend 0-2.
“The game came down to the final minutes and we needed a full team effort to get it done and that’s what we did,” Welch said. “It feels incredible and there’s this immense pride winning with these guys who have become my best friends over the past two weeks.”
At the conclusion of the championship, seven players were selected to the 2026 Armed Forces Rugby All-Tournament Team:
Spc. Derrick Anyahge — Army
1st Lt. Jonny Haley — Army
Lt. Dennis Munter — Navy
1st Lt. Benjamin Haapapuro — Department of the Air Force
Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Rizzardi — Coast Guard
Lt. j. g. Conroy O’Donnell — Coast Guard
LCpl Spencer Layne — Marine Corps
The 2026 championship was held in conjunction with RugbyTown 7s, an international tournament featuring 21 teams at Infinity Park in Glendale. The event traces its roots to the Armed Forces competition, which moved to rugby 7s in 2012 and helped launch what became the annual RugbyTown 7s tournament.
Army leaves Glendale with the gold for the fifth straight year, while Coast Guard departs with its best finish of the Armed Forces men’s 7s era.