COLLEGIATE GOVERNING BODIES

The college rugby landscape is rapidly evolving and is governed by multiple organizations. Each of these organizations provide 15s and 7s championship pathways following a team’s conference schedule.

• National Collegiate Rugby is the largest collegiate rugby organization with over 600 men’s and women’s teams.  Evolving from the National Small College Rugby Organization, which was founded in 2007, NCR now serves small colleges, Division II and Division I programs.  NCR’s sole focus is the growth and development of college rugby through a range of competitions, championship pathways, member services and governance.

• College Rugby Association of America (CRAA) governs D1A men, several D1AA conferences, Women D1 Elite, and over a dozen Women’s D1 (spring anf fall) and D2 (spring) conferences competing across the country. 

• National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) brings together institutions that compete at the highest levels of intercollegiate women’s rugby. NIRA is the governing body that oversees rugby as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women and its teams adhere to NCAA eligibility rules. 

• The American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA) oversees four large women’s conferences in the East and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Additional collegiate conferences have not declared an organizational affiliation and some may well be operating independently.