A Comprehensive History of NCAA Rugby Championships in the USA

College rugby is a vibrant and growing sport in the United States, played by both men and women across numerous colleges and universities. While most collegiate rugby programs operate outside the direct purview of the NCAA, they are primarily governed by National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) and USA Rugby. These organizations oversee both the seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union, which are the most commonly played.

The Rise of College Rugby

Rugby has a long history in American universities, dating back to the 1800s. However, it gained significant momentum in the 1960s, particularly in Catholic colleges like Notre Dame and Jesuit universities such as Boston College and St. This growth has continued, fueled by various factors including the inclusion of Rugby 7s in the Summer Olympics.

Governance and Structure

The governance of collegiate rugby saw significant changes in 2021. The USA Rugby Collegiate Council now includes the College Rugby Association of America (CRAA), the American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA), American College Rugby (ACR), and various independent conferences. Meanwhile, National Collegiate Rugby (NCR), formerly the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO), expanded its reach beyond small colleges to include higher divisions. This restructuring led to a split in the divisions, particularly in men's Division I-AA, which now has postseasons run by both NCR and CRAA.

Divisions and Eligibility

USA Rugby generally allows colleges to select the division in which they believe they fit best, with most schools remaining in the same division from year to year. However, there are exceptions, and schools may move up or down based on their performance. Significant changes occurred in 2011 when USA Rugby separated Division I into Division I-A and I-AA, causing schools to choose between the two.

Club vs. Varsity Status

The majority of colleges classify their rugby programs as club sports, administered by student club sports departments rather than intercollegiate athletics departments. However, some schools have elevated their rugby programs to varsity status, bringing them under the athletic department.

Men's Collegiate Rugby Championships

Since 1980, USA Rugby has conducted National Collegiate Men's Rugby Championships. From 1984 to 1988 and again in 1990, the championships were held in conjunction with the Annual Pebble Beach Rugby Classic.

Division I Champions (1980-2010)

From 1980 to 2010, USA Rugby held a Men's DI College championship. The University of California dominated this era, winning the championship 12 times.

Champions:* 1980: California

1981: California
1982: California
1983: California
1984: Harvard
1985: California
1986: California
1987: San Diego State
1988: California
1989: Air Force
1990: Air Force
1991: California
1992: California
1993: California
1994: California
1995: California
1996: California
1997: California
1998: California
1999: California
2000: California
2001: California
2002: California
2003: Air Force
2004: California
2005: California
2006: California
2007: California
2008: California
2009: BYU
2010: California

Division I-A Champions (2011-Present)

In 2011, USA Rugby created a new Division 1-A, featuring approximately 30 schools in a premier division.

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) 15s Championships

NCR 15s Championships also play a crucial role in the collegiate landscape.

Recent Champions:

2021 D1: St. Bonaventure
2021 D1AA: Virginia Tech
2022 D1: Brown
2022 D1AA: Virginia Tech
2023 D1: Notre Dame College
2023 D1AA: Kentucky
2024 D1: Brown
2024 D1AA: Kentucky
2025 D1: St. Bonaventure
2025 D1AA: Tennessee

Men's Division II College

2021: Thomas More
2022: Principia
2023: IUP
2024: IUP
2025: Vermont

Men's Small-College (Renamed D3 in 2024)

2021: Christendom
2022: Cal Poly Humboldt
2023: Babson
2024: Wayne State NE
2025: Franciscan

Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC)

The Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) is a high-profile college rugby sevens tournament held annually. It has gained popularity due to the inclusion of rugby sevens in the Summer Olympics and has been broadcast on major networks like NBC and ESPN.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

History and Evolution

Founded in 2010, the CRC was initially an independent competition run by USA Sevens, LLC. In 2021, National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) took over the organization of the tournament under license for the name and logo. The CRC has expanded to include both men's and women's teams across multiple divisions.

CRC Hall of Fame

The Collegiate Rugby Championship introduced a Hall of Fame to recognize individuals for their excellence in the tournament.

Inaugural Class:

Jon and Patti Prusmack (Founders)

2025 Class:

Chris Cleland (Mount St.

CRC Champions

The CRC has seen several dominant teams over the years.

Recent Men's Premier Cup Champions:

2022: Kutztown
2023: Mount St. Mary's
2024: Wheeling
2025: Wheeling

The Growth of Women's College Rugby

Women's college rugby has also experienced significant growth, with the NCAA marking it as an Emerging Sport for Women in 2002. This designation allows schools to add women's rugby as an NCAA sport, though progress was initially slow.

Governance of Women's Rugby

The governance of women’s college rugby is complex, involving multiple organizations:

National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA): Oversees varsity programs.
DI Elite: A special tier of college programs with athletics support but not NCAA varsity status.
National Collegiate Rugby (NCR): Expanded to include large schools and offers DI and Small College 15s national championships.
College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) and American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA): USA Rugby partners that oversee additional women's college rugby competitions.

Division 1 Women's National Championship

USA Rugby held the first DI women’s college national championship in 1991, adding DII championships in 2000.

Challenges and Changes

The landscape of women's college rugby has seen numerous changes, including shifts in seasonality, the emergence of new governing bodies, and the impact of USA Rugby's bankruptcy in 2019.

Conference Realignment

Around 2010, college rugby programs began realigning into conference structures that mirror the traditional NCAA conferences. This includes the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC), the Big Ten Universities conference, the Red River Conference, and the Southwest Conference (SWC).

Other Competitions

Besides the championships run by USA Rugby and NCR, other competitions exist, such as the Varsity Cup and the ACRC Bowl Series. These events provide additional opportunities for college rugby teams to compete at a high level.

College Rugby Sevens

Since the 2009 announcement that rugby sevens would be included in the 2016 Olympics, college rugby sevens has grown more popular. The Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) is the highest profile college sevens rugby championship in the United States. USA Rugby also announced the creation of a new sevens tournament, the USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships.

Injuries

College rugby has higher injury rates than college football in the US.

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