Photo courtesy University of New England Rugby
The National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) has named the 12 teams competing toward its college 7s championship. The event will occur April 30-May 1 at the Rugby Athletic Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Fourteen teams actually qualified or submitted at-large bids, so NSCRO Women’s 7s commissioner Bryn Chivers had to decide between finding two more teams for a 16-team event or limiting the at-large bids. Chivers narrowed the field to 12 to retain the integrity of a national championship versus promoting an invitational. As such, the three pools of four (see below) will mirror the HSBC Women’s Sevens Series format. The top two teams from each pool plus the two best third-place teams will advance to the Cup quarterfinals on day two.
“It’s an exciting time for NSCRO women’s 7s,” Chivers enthused. “We had two conferences where all of their teams participated in a 7s series leading to a conference champion. We had teams participating in multiple qualifiers in order to secure a spot. We had four new teams participating in a 7s qualifier in Colorado, and they will be the core of an NSCRO league within the Rocky Mountain conference in the fall.”
Half of last year’s eight-team field has returned for a shot at the trophy, including two-time reigning champion Wayne State College, 2015 finalist Mount St. Mary’s and two-year-old Simpson College, a 7s-only program. Newcomers include Allegheny conference-toppers California University of Pennsylvania and Grove City; Colorado College, which represents the recently added Rocky Mountain conference; and South representative Lee University, which tuned up at the Atlanta 7s Festival.
2016 NSCRO 7s CHAMPIONSHIP
April 30-May 1 • RAC, Charlotte, N.C.
Pool A
Wayne State (Neb.)
Endicott (Mass.)
Ursinus (Pa.)
California Univ. of Pennsylvania (Pa.)
Pool B
Mount St. Mary’s (Md.)
Colorado College (Colo.)
Tiffin (Ohio)
Univ. New England (Maine)
Pool C
Simpson College (Iowa)
Lee University (Tenn.)
William & Mary (Va.)
Grove City (Pa.)
SCHEDULE – DAY ONE
Time (Field) Team (Pool) v Team (Pool)
11:00 a.m. (1) Wayne State (A1) v Cal Univ. (A4)
11:00 a.m. (2) Endicott (A2) v Ursinus (A3)
11:20 a.m. (1) Mount St. Mary’s (B1) v New England (B4)
11:20 a.m. (2) Colorado College (B2) v Tiffin (B3)
11:40 a.m. (1) Simpson (C1) v Grove City (C4)
11:40 a.m. (2) Lee (C2) v William & Mary (C3)
12:20 p.m. (1) Wayne State (A1) v Ursinus (A3)
12:20 p.m. (2) Endicott (A2) v Cal Univ. (A4)
12:40 p.m. (1) Mount St. Mary’s (B1) v Tiffin (B3)
12:40 p.m. (2) Colorado College (B2) v New England (B4)
1:00 p.m. (1) Simpson (C1) v William & Mary (C3)
1:00 p.m. (2) Lee (C2) v Grove City (C4)
1:40 p.m. (1) Wayne State (A1) v Endicott (A2)
1:40 p.m. (2) Ursinus (A3) v Cal Univ. (A4)
2:00 p.m. (1) Mount St. Mary’s (B1) v Colorado College (B2)
2:00 p.m. (2) Tiffin (B3) v New England (B4)
2:20 p.m. (1) Simpson (C1) v Lee (C2)
2:20 p.m. (2) William & Mary (C3) v Grove City (C4)
3:40 p.m. (1) QF: A #1 v #8 (second-best 3rd place team)
3:40 p.m. (2) QF: B #1 v #7 (best 3rd place team)
4:00 p.m. (1) QF: C #1 v A #2
4:00 p.m. (2) QF: B #2 v C #2
Placing and consolation matches follow on Sunday. See www.nscro.org for full schedule.