Governing Bodies

Founded in 2007 as the National Small College Rugby Organization, it has evolved to serve men's and women's programs located at universities of all enrollment sizes.  

Unique to most other rugby governing organizations in the United States, it is wholly independent from USA Rugby, which traditional has stewardship for all rugby competitions the nation and governs athlete selection and teams representing the United States' in international competitions: the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Pan-American Games, the World Rugby Cups and the like.

The NCR offers five national championship events that include a men’s and women’s XVs National Championship at the conclusion of the Fall season and the Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s in the Spring (the highest profile college rugby 7s event in the nation).

As of 2023, the NCR has become the predominante governing body for college rugby competitions with the largest share of collegiate rugby players as members.

USA Rugby is the national governing body recognized by World Rugby and the International Olympic Committee for athlete selection and teams representing the United States' in international competitions: the World Rugby Cups, the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Pan-American Games and the like.

As part of USA Rugby's restructuring due to bankruptcy, the CRAA was formed in 2019 to oversee the top level of men's and women's collegiate competition.  As of the 2022-23 season, American College Rugby (men) and the American College Rugby Association (women) merged with the CRAA to bring all USA Rugby sanctioned competitions under one coordinating organization.  The CRAA offers national championships for its respective divisions and competitive tiers in both 15s and 7s play.

A key "advantage" for teams aligned under CRAA is that players are already registered with USA Rugby and have direct access to pathways for national team selection.  However, in recent years, its governance has narrowed as several rugby programs, particularly on the women's side, have migrated to align with the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) organization.

In 2002 Women's Rugby was classified as an Emerging Sport by the NCAA.  In 2015, the NIRA was created to promote the growth of women's intercollegiate rugby as a varsity sport, manage competitions for current NCAA-sanctioned women’s rugby programs over all three divisions, and provide a fall season post-season national championship for each in 15-a-side (15s).  Most schools also play under the CRAA in the spring to compete for a 7s national championship.

Once there are 40 sanctioned varsity level women's programs, rugby will become a NCAA-sponsored championship sport in 15s (and likely 7s for schools to further meet Title IX requirements).  For the 2023-24 school year, the number of NCAA schools with sanctioned women's varsity rugby programs has expanded to 29 (28 NIRA teams plus Central Washington University).