2015 USA Rugby College Championship Venues Announced

USA Rugby announced Wednesday the regional and championship locations for the Women’s Division I and Division II Fall Championships.

The first playoff rugby of the 2015-16 competitive season will culminate with a championship weekend at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., Dec. 5-6. Roberts Field, the home of the Paladins, hosted the Men’s DII National Championship last fall and the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals of the 2015 Women’s DI and DII Spring Championships.

“Furman has served the rugby community well as a host location for championship events,” USA Rugby National Championship Series and Competitions Manager James Wilber said. “Players that have been there in the last few years know the quality of Furman’s facilities, and we’re excited to have one of our biggest weekends of domestic rugby in South Carolina.”

All locations chosen for the fall championship season were selected through a careful, considerate vetting process, which accounted for participant and spectator welfare alike. Each venue gives USA Rugby and its member teams the facilities and logistical efficiencies necessary for championship events, while the weekend in Furman will bring three championships to one location.

“We are honored to host this prestigious event for a third year,” Furman University Director of Communications John Roberts said. “At Furman, we are proud of our facility and our championship history, but we are proudest of the way we treat the game. We hope that pride resonates throughout this event. We encourage college fans to check out the live-streamed event from Roberts Field.”

Before teams in any division can book their tickets to the Palmetto State, they must navigate through the opening rounds of their respective playoffs.

Two Women’s DII pools will be hosted at the Vassar College Farm in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. With a main stadium pitch and full-size practice field, as well as additional grass facilities also available at the Prentiss Sports Complex, eight teams will be treated to championship conditions just miles away from the Hudson River.

For teams based out west, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., will host one pool each from the Women’s DI and DII regionals. Eight teams in total will play two matches apiece in the foreground of the breathtaking Rocky Mountains and unique Cadet Chapel.