Coast Guard, Vassar lead ACRA conferences / Photo: JJ Fagan
The American Collegiate Rugby Association (ACRA) is rebuilding its base and starting with the Northeast region’s DII colleges. The New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference (NEWCRC) and Tri-State Rugby Conference have committed 36 teams for the fall 2020 season.
NEWCRC accounts for 24 teams from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, and includes the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, which finished third at last year’s USA Rugby DII Fall College Championship. Tri-State accounts for 12 teams from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, including Vassar College, the 2018 DII fall champion. The league also welcomes Columbia University, which migrates from the now-defunct Ivy League women’s competition.
“The recent turn of events with USA Rugby filing for bankruptcy and the onset of Covid-19 has caused collegiate teams to consider their competition pathways and support services,” Tri-State director Tony Brown explained. “ACRA was formed in 2013 and did a wonderful job of structuring a fall championship for over 70% of the women’s collegiate teams in the country. ACRA is reconstituting itself and every Conference will have representation on the Board.”
ACRA will only serve women’s college rugby, invest in team growth strategies, coach and player development, and assist with team administration. Teams will register and obtain insurance through USA Rugby and continue to adhere to the individual and team eligibility criteria established by the national governing body.
“Maintaining a strong competition within the northeast was a priority for our members, and with NEWCRC joining other top northeast conferences within ACRA, we feel that this is the best path forward for our membership,” explained NEWCRC competition director Dave Meyer, who is also an assistant coach with Babson College. “NEWCRC and its clubs are looking forward to the opportunities that ACRA will present, and are excited to maintain ties to USA Rugby as they rebuild their organization.”
ACRA’s website is updating and more information on the organization’s mission statement and governance will be available soon.
NEW ENGLAND WIDE
Babson College
Brandeis University
Central Connecticut State University
Champlain College
Coast Guard Academy
Connecticut College
Eastern Connecticut State University
Framingham State University
Holy Cross
Lasell University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Mount Holyoke College
Smith College
Springfield College
Tufts University
University of Hartford
University of Maine – Orono
University of New Hampshire (UNH)
University of Vermont (UVM)
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Westfield State University
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
TRI-STATE
NORTH
University at Albany
Fairfield University
Marist College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stony Brook University
Vassar College
SOUTH
Columbia University
Hofstra University
Montclair State University
Rutgers University
Siena College
SUNY New Paltz