A professional look for the varsity league in year two /// Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Rugby •
The varsity collegiate league, now named National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA), has set its fall 2016 schedule, which culminates with a final four at Army West Point Nov. 18-20. The league has added a second tier for first-year members and developing varsity programs, and they will contest a separate championship at season’s end.
As NIRA enters its second year, flexibility will continue to be a big component of its success while the competition grows. The 10 teams in Tier 1 are all returners, while second-year member Sacred Heart joins four first-years in Tier 2. The only scheduling criteria is that teams contest at least three games against NIRA members, and those games may include cross-tier matches. That cushion allows teams to challenge themselves outside of the league or also honor traditional leagues (e.g., the Ivies).
The most notable addition to Tier 1 is Central Washington. Coach Mel Denham expressed her desire to join the competition last year, however, the timing was prohibitive. It’s quite a commitment for the West Coast team, whose closest NIRA member is Notre Dame College in Ohio. But the young program is a fantastic addition and will test itself against AIC, Army, Norwich and Quinnipiac before playoffs.
When considering teams’ full slate of games, Army has the most ambitious. After playing five NIRA members on consecutive weekends, the Black Knights will host Penn State’s men’s and women’s teams. The touring Australian Defense Force will then swing by Anderson Rugby Complex before heading north to Norwich, and Army will finish with games against sister academy teams Navy and Air Force.
“We picked up these games that we don’t usually [schedule],” Army coach Bill LeClerc referenced Central Washington and Notre Dame College. “It’s an opportunity to showcase your brand and leave a footprint behind. We get a lot of kids coming from Ohio, but this is another chance to say, ‘You can play rugby at Army.’ We do that as much as we can.”
Army will also host NIRA’s championship weekend, which has embedded a rest day between the semifinals and final.
Tier 2 sees the debut of Bowdoin (Maine), Castleton (Vt.), Molloy (N.Y.) and University of New England (Maine), which join Sacred Heart. Tier 2 allows programs to ease into the varsity landscape, but the ultimate goal is promotion after a couple of years.
The below schedule includes NIRA matches only.
