American College Rugby Association (“ACRA”) is Formed

American College Rugby Association Press Release

ACRA Announces Formation and Invitation to Join Alternative Competition Structure

May 6, 2013

On behalf of its member institutions, The American College Rugby Association (“ACRA”) is pleased to announce its formation and to invite interested colleges to join. The American College Rugby Association was formed by a large contingent of representatives from women’s collegiate teams after years of informal discussion and months of research and formal conferencing. Currently over 100 teams from Division 1 and Division 2 are committed to ACRA. New inquiries and commitments continue to arrive from across the country.

The purpose of the organization is to work in conjunction with USA Rugby to provide an alternative competition structure that aligns with the fall and spring college semesters. ACRA will hold the first Fall 15s college rugby championship on Dec 7-8, 2013. Its first Spring 7s college rugby championship will be held in May, 2014.

ACRA’s Goals are:

1. To provide access for all DI and DII women’s collegiate teams to both 15s and 7s pathways to national championships. Member institutions currently face various seasonal and academic limitations best addressed by the seasonal and playoff structure that ACRA will utilize.
2. To put the health, safety and welfare of students first. Playing each code of rugby within a defined season, and having clearly-defined off-seasons, increases the academic welfare, health, and overall safety of student-athletes. Additionally, if ACRA member conferences or institutions choose to participate in only one rugby code, having one clearly-defined and contiguous season with a championship will not only unburden student-athletes from year-round competition but will allow coaches and institutions to concentrate resources in that season. This increases the likelihood of funding and support, reducing the significant and sometimes exclusionary financial burden on student-athletes.
3. To support women’s rugby as an emerging sport in the NCAA and to achieve growth in the women’s game. NCAA sports have a clearly defined season ending in a championship. Defining seasons for each rugby code aligns current club and varsity organizations with the NCAA and will facilitate transitions from club to varsity. Members also believe this option will enhance the meaningful development of players, coaches, and referees in both codes of rugby in order to achieve real and measurable growth in the women’s college rugby game.

Conferences, individual teams, and administrators/athletic directors who are interested in joining are encouraged to make contact soon due to fall scheduling purposes. Please contact Austin Hall for more information.

The leadership of the association is:

Austin Hall, Head Coach, Norwich University, Member/USAR Women’s Competition Committee
MaryBeth Mathews, Head Coach, Bowdoin College, Member/USAR College Management Council
Steve Murra, Head Coach, University of Northern Iowa
Roger Riley, Head Coach, Winona State University
Gray Zischke, Head Coach, University of Wisconsin, Steven’s Point, Member/USAR College Management Council
Jeff Ward, Advisor, Casco Bay Associates