Life Univ to Play Senior Club & College Ball

Life University Women’s Rugby is entering a new era this 2025-26 season. The Marietta, Ga., program is for the first time fielding competitive 15s sides in USA Club Rugby‘s Women’s Division I as well as the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA) Women’s Division I. [Photo: Beni Thiongo @mianyaphotos]

“We’re thrilled to confirm our entry into the Women’s Division 1 Club competition through the Texas Rugby Union for the 2025–26 season,” Life University Women’s Rugby Head Coach Ryszard Chadwick told liferunningeagles.com. “This opportunity allows us to expand our competitive calendar while continuing to develop a world-class, daily training environment for all our athletes. What excites us most is the dual-pathway opportunity, remaining a proud competitor in CRAA D1 College Rugby while stepping into the D1 Club landscape. This blended schedule supports the growth of every player in our program, from our high-potential underclassmen to our senior student-athletes pushing for national honors.”

 

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This competitive was necessary, as Life’s previous competition — CRAA DIA — disbanded after the spring 2025 season. Lindenwood University joined NIRA, the home to the majority of NCAA varsity women’s rugby teams; and Central Washington University Athletics stopped sponsoring both its men’s and women’s programs. That left BYU, which is competing in both National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) and CRAA DI this year; and Life University, which is geographically isolated in terms of comparable collegiate competition. Life had petitioned to join USA Club Rugby’s DI Atlantic competition in 2025-26 but was voted down (read the July SCC meeting minutes). The Texas Rugby Union (TRU), however, was amenable to adding Life to its DI competition, and with the support of the Carolinas Rugby Union, the collegians will square up against their adult counterparts beginning this fall.

Meanwhile, Life will retain its collegiate presence in CRAA DI. The majority of DI teams are based on the West Coast, but CRAA did announce that it is folding in teams that are dual registered with other membership organizations — i.e., NCR. BYU, Penn State and Wheeling University in West Virginia, for example, are all teams competing toward NCR’s fall 15s championship and CRAA’s DI spring championship. So there is the possibility that more teams covering more geography will be added to the CRAA competition.

The two competitive options creates a pathway for Life student-athletes. Younger players can start with CRAA DI and then progress into the senior 15s competition. Exposure to club DI — which is the highest level of amateur rugby in the U.S. now that the Women’s Premier League has disbanded — will also benefit those players who are projecting to the USA national teams.

“Life U has always been about more than just winning games,” Chadwick closed. “It’s about building a legacy of high performance, opportunity, and leadership. We’re not just building a team; we’re building a system that serves the athlete from recruitment to retirement. That’s what sets Life apart.”