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College rugby (a version of rugby union) is played throughout universities in the United States of America. Unlike most university sports, college rugby is not governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and is instead governed by USA Rugby and the International Rugby Board. Often called a club sport, each individual team is administered by either the athletic department or the student club department.
For most US players, college rugby represents the first level competition, but because rugby is the fastest growing high school sport, this may change in the next ten years. Rugby is also growing at the collegiate level. There are currently 5 NCAA Varsity Women's Rugby Programs: Eastern Illinois University (Division 1); West Chester University (Division 2); and Bowdoin College, Southern Vermont College, and Norwich University (Division 3) [1].
The sport includes a national championship competition (since 1980) as well as other hotly contested trophies such as the World Cup between Cal and the University of British Columbia (Canada) and the Wasatch Cup between BYU and Utah.
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Organization
American college rugby is governed by the International Rugby Board, USA Rugby, and the respective territorial and local area unions.
Local area unions usually set up "league" matches in the primary season, while the teams set up their own "friendly" matches in the secondary season. In the northeast, midatlantic and midwest, the league season is played in the fall; while in the south, northwest and pacific regions, the spring is the primary season.
USA Rugby maintains strict eligibility guidelines, which are administered at the local level by the local area unions. College players generally have 5 years of rugby eligibility from the time they first enter college, but exceptions can be made for military service, or pregnancy.
On-field disciplinary issues are generally handled by the local area unions, while off-field disciplinary issues are governed by the academic institution and the local area union.
Liability is mitigated by the CIPP insurance program. This program provides liability insurance to all rugby teams and players in exchange for an annual dues payment (currently $30/year). This policy provides the player, the team, its administrators and pitch hosts with liability coverage in the event of any injury. The program is administered by USA Rugby.
Promotion and Relegation
Division and conference placement is primarily based on a rugby club's success from the previous year. Each Local Area Union (LAU) has its own rules of governance, but in most cases, the team that wins its division or conference has the right to advance to the next highest division or conference. Conversely, the club with the least success that year might be relegated to competing in the next lowest division or conference. Because a move to a different division or conference would have an impact on travel arrangements, some college clubs might resist promotion or relegation for budgetary reasons.
Some winning clubs choose not to exercise this right to advance, instead preferring to stay in th lower club division, either because they are a very small college with a small rugby budget, or because they wish to remain competitive against lesser opponents. For example, Furman University (an NCAA Division I institution) is a perennial Division III rugby powerhouse, yet they have consistently declined promotion to Division II. Similarly, Plymouth State University declined promotion to D2 despite winning the 2008 D3 NSCRO National championship.
Other clubs are offered promotion, despite not winning their conference, based upon their strength of play. For example, Iowa State Men's Club was allowed to move up to D1 from D2 because they had performed so well in the 2006 Big 12 tournament, losing to fifth ranked Texas A&M in overtime after winning the competition 2 previously (while being the only D2 team competing). Southern Connecticut State University was moved from D3 to D2 despite losing to Salve Regina University 21-20 in the 2008 NERFU College Men's Division III Rugby Tournament. See also Promotion and relegation.
National Collegiate championships
Men's
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- Before 1997:
YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP
1980 California, runner-up Air Force
1981 California, runner-up Harvard
1982 California, runner-up Life College
1983 California, runner-up Air Force
1984 Harvard, runner-up Colorado
1985 California, runner-up Maryland
1986 California, runner-up Dartmouth
1987 San Diego State, runner-up Air Force
1988 California, runner-up Dartmouth
1989 Air Force, runner-up Long Beach State
1990 Air Force, runner-up Army
1991 California, runner-up Army
1992 California, runner-up Army
1993 California, runner-up Air Force
1994 California, runner-up Navy
1995 California, runner-up Air Force
1996 California, runner-up Penn State
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- 1997 onward:
YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP
1997-California 41 Penn State 15
1998-California 34 Stanford 15
1999-California 36 Penn State 5
2000-California 62 Wyoming 16
2001-California 86 Penn State 11
2002-California 43 Utah 22
2003-Air Force 45 Harvard 37
2004-California 46 Cal Poly 24
2005-California 44 Utah 7
2006-California 29 BYU 26
2007-California 37 BYU 7
2008-California 59 BYU 7
2009-BYU 25 California 22
Women's
1991- Air Force, runner-up Boston College
1992- Boston College, runner-up Connecticut
1993- Connecticut, runner-up Air Force
1994- Air Force, runner-up Boston College
1995- Princeton, runner-up Penn State
1996- Princeton, runner-up Penn State
1997- Penn State, runner-up Radcliffe
1998- Radcliffe, runner-up Penn State
1999- Stanford, runner-up Princeton
2000- Penn State, runner-up Princeton
2001- Chico State, runner-up Penn State
2002- Air Force, runner-up Penn State
2003- Air Force, runner-up Illinois
2004- Penn State, runner-up Princeton
2005- Stanford 53 Penn State 6
2006- Stanford 15 Penn State 12
2007- Penn State 22 Stanford 21
2008- Stanford 15 Penn State 10
2009- Penn State 46 Stanford 7
Division 2
Men's
2000- Sacramento State 49 - 3 Claremont College
2001- Baylor 29 - 16 Arkansas State
2002- Stanford 26 - 15 Northern Iowa
2003- Radford 32 - 22 Northern Colorado
2004- Salisbury 43 - 24 Arkansas State
2005- Northern Colorado 24 - 22 Humboldt State
2006- Coast Guard 17 - 12 Northern Colorado
2007- Middlebury 38 - 22 Arkansas State
2008- Radford 25 - 14 Utah Valley State
2009- Middlebury 27 - 11 Wisconsin
Women's
2000 - Plymouth State, runner-up East Stroudsburg
2001 - Northern Iowa, runner-up Nevada-Reno
2002 - Northern Iowa, runner-up Minnesota
2003 - Dayton, runner-up Northern Iowa
2004 - Temple, runner-up Providence
2005 - Providence, runner-up Temple
2006 - UC Santa Cruz 22 Plymouth State 10
2007 - Iowa State 26 UC Santa Cruz 19
2008 - Shippensburg 47 Minnesota-Duluth 0
2009 - Shippensburg 29 Stonehill 5
Division III - Governed by the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO)
The National Small College Rugby Organization was created to give a competitive outlet to small colleges which would not otherwise have an opportunity to compete on a national stage. Each year, the NSCRO hosts rugby tournaments for Division III Men's and Women's college teams, and for Division IV Women's college teams.
Men's
2002 - Champion: Western Carolina University
Runner Up: Stonehill College
2003 - Champion: Furman University
Runner Up: Stonehill College
2004 - Champion: Furman University
Runner Up: Central Connecticut State University
2005 - Champion: Furman University
Runner Up: Duke University
2006 - Champion: Bentley University
Runner Up: The Citadel
2007 - Champion: Bentley
Runner Up: Furman University
2008 - Champion: Plymouth State University 22
Runner Up: Furman 15
2009 - See 2009 NSCRO Men's Division III Rugby Tournament
Women's
2002-3 - Champion: College of New Jersey
Runner Up: University of Maine
2003-4 - Champion: Fordham University
Runner Up: Susquehanna University
2004-5 - Champion: Castleton State College
Runner Up: Susquehanna University
2005-6 - Champion: Babson University
Runner Up: Ursinus College
2006-7 (Last year the event was held in the Spring) - Champion: Stonehill College
Runner Up: Pennsylvania University
2007 (Fall) - Champion: Stonehill College
Runner Up: Marist College
2008 - Champion: Bryant University
Runner-Up: Gettysburg College
2009 - Champion: MIT
Runner-Up: East Stroudsburg University
Division IV - Governed by National Small College Rugby Organization
Women's Only
2006 - Champion: University of Rhode Island
Runner Up: Ursinus College
2007 - Champion: Roger Williams University
Runner Up: Gettysburg College
2008 - Champion: Holy Cross College
Runner Up: Albright College
2009 - Champion: Drexel University
Runner-Up: Wentworth Institute of Technology
See also
References
- ^ name='usarugby' usarugby.org
External links
- National Collegiate Club Rugby Championships (Men's club winners)
- Men's and Women's Division 1 Club and Men's Division 2 national collegiate club rankings
- News and Articles on current Collegiate Club Competitions
- New York Times, 12-31-2000, "Champions 2000; From Sydney to the Bronx, the Winners" (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
- New York Times, 12-29-1991 "The Year in Review; Winners of 1991 Individual and Team Championships" (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
- New York Times, 12-16-1993,"The Year in Review -- 1993; The Year's Champions" (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
- EPRU Champions (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
- New York Times, 12-29-1996,"From Atlanta To Wembley, Winners All" (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
- "Women's National Collegiate Champions: D I" (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
- "Women's National Collegiate Champions: D II" (retrieved Sept 6, 2009)
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