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N.C. Hosts NCAA Rugby Recruitment Camp in December

  • 08 Nov 2022
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NCAA rugby camp

The Carolinas Combine is taking a novel approach to the college rugby recruitment pathway. On Saturday, Dec. 17, the four NCAA women’s rugby programs in North and South Carolina, plus several guests, will run a student-athlete prospect camp at Warren Wilson College. High school rugby players from across the country are invited to the Asheville, N.C.-area camp, and they’ll have access and exposure to the four varsity head coaches. Additionally, there’s an informational element for the parents and high school coaches who are guiding their student-athletes into the collegiate sphere.

 

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NCAA varsity coaches from Guilford College, Lander University, Newberry College and Queens University of Charlotte will run the three-hour camp (12-3 p.m.) along with other guest coaches. Katie Wurst is organizing the event and is uniquely qualified for the role. Wurst started the women’s rugby program at Queens and served as head coach through the 2021-22 season. During the summer, Wurst accepted the position of Assistant Athletics Director at Warren Wilson and is impacting the game as a rugby-friendly administrator. She created the NCAA recruitment camp because the former coach knows the needs of her peers, as well as the many questions with which prospective student-athletes struggle. As an administrator, Wurst has the bandwidth to advocate for rugby throughout the South.

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“One of the challenges that’s happening is, as more NCAA programs are elevated … how do we make it simple for the athletes and families to find the best fit for them,” Wurst said. “You get pulled in a lot of directions, so where do you find the best information? That’s where we came up with the idea to do a combine for all the schools in the Carolinas, so student-athletes can also have some family time back instead of going to six different camps.”

 

Warren Wilson rugby camp

 

Wurst is working with the coaches on the camp agenda, so they can achieve all of their objectives at the combine. But Wurst is taking on the rest of the operational work, so the staff can just show up and coach – a luxury. The pooling of efforts not only benefits the college teams’ recruitment, but raises the profile of the sport to any colleges considering adding women’s rugby to their athletics department.

And Warren Wilson College is a great spot to showcase the sport. There are two rugby/soccer grass pitches, an indoor gym facility should weather be an issue, and a strength-and-conditioning gym that’s available. For the $30 registration fee, attendees will receive a camp t-shirt, recruitment film, NCAA eligibility education, and more. And with the camp occurring from 12-3 p.m., student-athletes and their families could potentially make the outing a one-day trip. Although Wurst highly recommends building out the weekend around Asheville, “a pretty incredible place to visit,” she said.

“We really want to engage the families in this process,” Wurst said. “There will be a segment where people can learn anything from the recruiting process, to tips on things they can do to help themselves prepare for college. It’s unique since I’m an administrator and former coach, so I can help parents navigate the NCAA Eligibility Center or answer questions on academies. … You want to demystify that and give them time to be face-to-face with someone knowledgeable to ask, ‘How do I do this?’”

 

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The following day (Sunday, Dec. 18), Warren Wilson is also hosting a Level 1 (L200) USA Rugby coaching course in partnership with North Carolina Youth Rugby (NCYRU) with a goal of expanding youth and high school programming in the western part of the state. Interested individuals can find information about this course and all USA Rugby education courses at https://usa.rugby/courses. Athletic Director Robin Martin-Davis welcomed the idea of hosting the Carolinas Combine in conjunction with a USA Rugby coaching course as a way to connect with coaches and student-athletes, and explore options for possible athletic department expansion in the future.

“It is exciting to make these connections with emerging sports such as rugby, and partner with other colleges to develop intentional efforts to support the growth and learning experiences of future NCAA student-athletes and coaches,” Martin-Davis said.

With full support of the Warren Wilson College athletics administration, and collaboration from NCYRU and surrounding NCAA rugby programs, the Carolinas Combine looks to be a step in the right direction in making the process of finding the best fit for college student-athletes accessible and highly enjoyable for all.

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