Bridget Kahele

Biography

Kahele joined the women's rugby staff in the Spring of 2022 and enters her third season with the program this fall. Kahele helped guide the Bears to a 3-4-1 NIRA Division I record with shutout wins over Princeton and Mount St. Mary's. In 2024-2025, the Bears won their third consecutive Rugby Premier 7s National Championship in the spring and reached the semi-finals of the NIRA playoffs in the fall. Brown finished 4-3-1 in NIRA play and featured four All-Americans. Brown posted an impressive 18-7-1 overall record in 2022-23, bolstered by a strong spring season. In the fall, Brown finished 3-4-1 in NIRA Division I play with wins over Princeton, Mount St. Mary's, and LIU. In the spring, Brown posted a 15-3 record while primarily playing in 7s matches. Notably, Brown reached the championship at the Crimson 7s Tournament in March. At the 2023 CRC National Championship, Brown ran the table with a 4-0 mark to capture the program's first National Championship. The Bears took wins over Kutztown and Northern Iowa in the opening rounds before grinding out wins over Navy and Army for the trophy. Outside of collegiate competition, three Bears - Akilah Cathey, Nikki Lynch, and Julia Murray - qualified for the United State U-20 National Team and competed alongside assistant coach Kittery Wagner Ruiz, serving in the same role. “I have been truly blessed with opportunities that the game of rugby has brought me and my way of giving back is sharing my knowledge and experience with up-and-coming