The first three years of the USA Rugby 7s national championship were held in December after the fall 15s season. Norwich University dominated those early years, with memorable players like Joya Clark, Rose Bernheim, Vanessa Champagne, Katie Hathaway, Emily Orr, Ally Day – and more – really setting the tone for collegiate 7s.
For the 2014-15 school year, the championship shifted to the spring, so while it looks like there was no champion in 2014, that tournament was just contested in spring 2015. Penn State won the 4th title, and as the lead photo shows, that team was absolutely packed with future Eagles.
Starting in 2016, different divisions were introduced as 7s grew in popularity. It was unwieldy, with terms like DI, DII, Open and Elite separating teams into like-strength competitions. By 2019, there were three divisions for the women, and then the subsequent two tournaments were canceled due to Covid-19.
On the other side of Covid, USA Rugby no longer administers college rugby. The AEG Rugby 7s College Championships (R7CC) is the USAR-endorsed version of its former 7s nationals, and hosted Gold (#1 Lindenwood, #2 Dartmouth), Red (#1 Davenport, #2 Navy) and Blue (#1 San Jose State, #2 St. Mary’s College) divisions for NIRA and CRAA teams. It’s an invitational championship, like NCR’s CRC 7s.
USA Rugby 7s Championships
Present day – USA Rugby no longer oversees college rugby
2021 – CANCELED BY COVID
2020 – CANCELED BY COVID
2019
Elite – 1st: Lindenwood / 2nd: Dartmouth
DI – Air Force / Virginia Tech
DII – Bryant Univ. / Fresno State
2018
Elite – Lindenwood / Penn State
Open – Air Force / Chico State
2017 Lindenwood / Life
2016
DI – Life / Lindenwood
DII – Davenport / Bloomsburg
2015 Penn State / Central Washington
2014 championship moved from fall to spring
2013 Norwich / James Madison
2012 Norwich / Navy
2011 Norwich / Boston College
USA Rugby wasn’t the only member organization hosting national 7s championships. National Collegiate Rugby (previously named National Small College Rugby Organization, NSCRO) served small (enrollment) colleges, which didn’t have specific championships with USAR. Under the direction of Bryn Chivers, NSCRO began hosting women’s Small College 7s National Championships in spring 2014. Like USAR, 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to Covid.
Post-pandemic the NCR Women’s Small College 7s National Championship is the purest in terms of full-time members qualifying through conference championships and/or at-large bids. NCR’s DI 7s champions funneled into the CRC 7s, which is an invitational championship like the AEG 7s.
NCR Small College 7s National Championship
Year 1st / 2nd
2022 Univ. Chicago / Univ. South Dakota (OT)
2021 CLD BY COVID-19
2020 CLD BY COVID-19
2019 Wayne State / Univ. Rochester
2018 Wayne State / Lee Univ.
2017 Colgate Univ. / Wayne State College
2016 Wayne State College / Mount St. Mary’s Univ.
2015 Wayne State College / Mount St. Mary’s Univ.
2014 Wayne State College / South Dakota State
After USA Rugby’s implosion, ACRA also resumed its 7s championship in spring 2022. Remember, ACRA and CRAA combined forces for a DII fall 15s championship, and Colorado Mesa State reiterated that connection when it traveled to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the championship – and advanced to the final! Coast Guard won the ACRA 7s championship in May.