2019 Great Waters DII champ UW Oshkosh
With USA Rugby declaring bankruptcy this spring, leagues around the country have had to consider new partnerships for the sake of their competitions’ futures. One such option is the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO), which until now was for schools with a certain enrollment. NSCRO has now created the National College Rugby Organization (NCRO), which will cater to larger schools.
The Great Waters Women’s Rugby Conference is a hybrid league that includes 10 DII and five NSCRO teams from Chicago, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. The conference held its spring AGM in February, and all 15 member schools voted to join NSCRO/NCRO beginning with the fall 2020 season. The NSCRO-eligible teams will continue to compete in NSCRO, while the DII schools will compete in NCRO’s open division.
Per the conference’s press release:
NSCRO/NCRO aligns with the Great Waters Women’s Rugby Conference’s values on promoting and growing women’s college rugby, raising the status of college rugby within our university administrations, and providing the best possible experience for our student athletes.
GREAT WATERS MEMBERSUniversity of Chicago
DePaul University
University of Illinois at Chicago
Loyola University
Marquette University
Michigan Technological University
Northern Michigan UniversityNorthwestern University
Univ. Wisconsin Eau Claire
Univ. Wisconsin La Crosse
Univ. Wisconsin Oshkosh
Univ. Wisconsin Platteville
Univ. Wisconsin Stevens Point
Univ. Wisconsin StoutUniv. Wisconsin Whitewater