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Listed by Year Rugby Program Established
Listed by Year Rugby Program Established
2012 - Morehouse College
2012 - Morehouse College
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Mascot: Maroon Tigers
Enrollment: male-only, 2,500+ students
Rugby Teams: Men's
Contact:
About: Moorehouse is the first HBCU to establish a rugby team (men's). It is a private, all black men's liberal arts college founded in 1867. It has an acceptance rate of 59% with a 4-year graduation rate of 33% (55% at 6-years).
2012 - Florida A&M University
2012 - Florida A&M University
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Mascot: Rattlers
Enrollment: coed, 7,500+ students
Rugby Teams: Men's (currently defunct)
Contact:
About: Initially founded in 1885, FAMU is the only surviving publicly-funded HBCU in the state. It has an acceptance rate of 35% with a 4-year graduation rate of 21% (55% at 6-years). Its men's team was the second one established at an HBCU in the nation.
20?? - Prairie View A&M University
20?? - Prairie View A&M University
Location: Prairie View, Texas
Mascot: Panthers
Enrollment: coed, 9,400+ students
Rugby Teams: Men's & Women's (in development)
Contact:
About: The 2nd oldest public university in the state of Texas and a member of the Texas A&M University System. It has an acceptance rate of 77% with a 4-year graduation rate of 49% (54% at 6-years).
"The [spring festival] is the premier rugby event highlighting Historically Black Colleges and University rugby programs. Since 2018, the HBCU Rugby Classic has focused on providing a space for spectators and players to celebrate HBCU and Pan-African culture and recognize opportunities through rugby."
2018 - The initial event featured men's competition between Morehouse vs Prairie View A&M.
2021 - Prairie View A&M debuted the first HBCU women's team during the event playing against ROOTS Rugby Women's Team (an Afro-centric, nonprofit rugby organization that fields social and competitive teams to play in tournaments around the nation).
2023 - First year the event is held on the campus of an HBCU, Howard University.
James G. Roberston & Clive Sullivan Rugby Foundation was established in 2021 "to provide Historically Black Colleges and Universities with the resources they need to develop, grow and flourish in the game of rugby."
2021 - Howard University
2021 - Howard University
Location: Washington, DC
Mascot: The Herd
Enrollment: coed, 12,000+ students
Rugby Teams: Men & Women+
Contact: www.howardrugbyclub.org
About: Founded in 1867, the university is a private, historically black research institution. It has an acceptance rate of 35% with a 4-year graduation rate of 43% (63% at 6-years).
Men's & women's rugby teams were established in 2021 The university is the first HBCU to have women's team compete in an official collegiate match, with a win over John Hopkins University. In 2023, the women's team finished #2 in the nation, for the CRAA DII Spring 15s competition.
Pending / In The Cue
There is a concerted effort with the Robertson & Sullivan Rugby Foundationto to establish teams at:
2024 - Bowie State University,
Bowie, Maryland
(Men's & Women's Teams)
2024 - Morgan State University
Baltimore, Maryland
(Men's & Women's Teams)
2025 - Coppin State University
Baltimore, Maryland
(Men's Team)
2025 - Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennesse
(Men's Team)
2025 - University of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC
(Men's & Women's Teams)
20(??) - Southern University System
Baton Rouge. Louisiana
It is the only system of its kind in the US, with three campuses in Louisiana, a law school and a research center.
(Men's Team)
Additional Resource(s):
Louisiana HBCU Announces New Rugby Program, HBCU Rugby Classic & Music Festival
‘Rugby was a lifeline’: Bipoc group seeks to establish game in US Black colleges. The Guardian
Side note(s):
Temple University is not an HBCU though it has a long history of active and distinguished black students among its diverse student body.)
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