Cody Melphy was appointed assistant coach for the Brown Women's Rugby program in June 2026.

“Cody brings an incredible amount of experience and professionalism to our program and, what stands out the most is his character,” Chou said. “He will be leading by example through his effort and standards that he sets for himself. He will mentor our student-athletes while exhibiting the highest level of work ethic and accountability. He will be an outstanding asset to the coaching team and I am excited for this collaboration and how his unique skillset will continue to drive our program forward.”

Melphy comes to College Hill having most recently served as the Director of Rugby and Head Coach for the University of Denver men’s club program since 2023. He led the Pioneers to a program-best second place finish at the National 7s Championship this spring.

"I am incredibly excited to attack this opportunity and join the Brown Women's Rugby program,” Melphy said. “Coach Rosalind Chou has established herself as one of the best coaches in collegiate rugby, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her, learn from her experience, and contribute to the program's continued success. From the beginning, it was clear that Brown has a special culture built around excellence, growth, and developing outstanding student-athletes. I believe I can bring valuable experience, energy, and perspective to the staff while continuing to grow as a coach myself. My wife, Payton, our daughter, Wylie, and I are thrilled to become part of the Brown community and begin this next chapter in Rhode Island."

A former professional, Melphy played for the United States National Rugby 7s Team where he captained the 2019 squad to a bronze medal at the Pan-American Games in Lima, Peru. Melphy was also a United States Olympian at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan and competed in the 7s World Cup in South Africa in 2022.

He helped the 2018 United States Men’s 7s team to its first tournament win on home soil in Las Vegas, Nevada, the second-ever World Series Tournament win in American history.

Cody is a co-founder of the Rebel Rugby Academy established in 2015 and now running as one of the largest High School Boys 7s academies in the United States. His past coaching experience includes programs at Regis High School, Rugby Colorado, OMBAC Wallabies, San Diego Legion Academy, Mater Dei High School and the Roswell Rebels.

A 2017 graduate of Life University, Melphy was a four-time Collegiate All-American in 7s and 15s, and a 2016 D1A National Champion.

He is an active duty soldier in the United States Army under the World Class Athlete Program.

Name	Title	Email Address
Rosalind Chou, Ph.D.	Kathleen Flores Women's Rugby Head Coach	rosalind_chou@brown.edu
Cody Melphy	Assistant Coach	cody_melphy@brown.edu
Rachel Johnson	Assistant Coach	rachel_johnson@brown.edu

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