The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) is the NCAA rugby league, and its fifth season begins Aug. 31 for the 19 member teams. The competition has added two new programs and will name champions in three categories: Tier 1, Tier 2 and Division III. All three finals will be contested at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., the weekend of Nov. 16-17.
TRB is awaiting confirmation on which teams are competing toward which title, so stay tuned for an update.
2019 NIRA SCHEDULE
NV = Non-varsity match
AUGUST
31
Castleton @ New England College
Colby-Sawyer @ Molloy
Harvard @ Quinnipiac
LIU Post @ Brown
Notre Dame College @ Dartmouth
Sacred Heart v Queens (@ Harrisonburg, Va.)
SEPTEMBER
7
AIC @ Mount St. Mary’s
Brown @ West Chester
Harvard @ Army
Norwich @ Colby-Sawyer
Penn State @ Quinnipiac
Sacred Heart @ LIU Post
Roger Williams @ Bowdoin (NV)
8
Castleton @ Univ. New England
New England College @ Univ. New England
14
Castleton @ Molloy
Colby-Sawyer @ Bowdoin
Dartmouth @ Brown
Norwich @ New England College
Queens v LIU Post (@ Harrisonburg, Va.)
Quinnipiac @ Army
Sacred Heart @ AIC
Notre Dame College @ Davenport (NV)
Univ. Maine @ Univ. New England (NV)
West Chester @ Bloomsburg (NV)
21
Bowdoin @ New England College
Brown @ AIC
Castleton @ New England College
Castleton v Bowdoin (@ NEC)
Dartmouth @ Harvard
Mount St. Mary’s @ Queens
Quinnipiac v Notre Dame College (@ Pittsburgh)
Sacred Heart @ West Chester
Univ. New England @ Norwich
22
LIU Post @ Molloy
28
Army @ Notre Dame College
Brown @ Sacred Heart
Colby-Sawyer @ Univ. New England
LIU Post @ Mount St. Mary’s
Molloy @ Mount St. Mary’s
West Chester @ AIC
Bowdoin @ Colby (NV)
Coastal Carolina @ Queens (NV)
St. Michael’s @ New England College (NV)
29
Norwich @ Castleton
OCTOBER
4
Castleton @ Colby-Sawyer
5
AIC @ Queens @ Emmitsburg, Md.
Army @ Dartmouth
Norwich @ Bowdoin
Quinnipiac @ Harvard
6
West Chester @ Mount St. Mary’s
12
AIC @ LIU Post
Harvard @ Notre Dame College
Mount St. Mary’s @ Brown
New England College @ Norwich
Quinnipiac @ Dartmouth
Univ. New England @ Colby-Sawyer
UVA @ West Chester (NV)
13
Molloy @ Castleton
15
St. Francis Xavier (Can) @ Army (NV)
19
Harvard @ Brown
New England College @ Colby-Sawyer
West Chester v Queens (@ Harrisonburg, Va.)
Bowdoin @ Vassar (NV)
Army @ Penn State (NV)
20
LIU Post @ Castleton
Mount St. Mary’s @ Sacred Heart
Norwich @ Univ. New England
26
Army @ Quinnipiac
Bowdoin @ Univ. New England
Brown v Queens (@ Emmitsburg, Md.)
Colby-Sawyer @ Norwich
Molloy @ Sacred Heart
West Chester @ LIU Post
Ivy Championship (NV)
27
Davenport @ Notre Dame College (NV)
New England College @ Castleton
NOVEMBER
2
Bowdoin @ West Chester
Navy @ Army (NV)
9-10
Playoffs @ higher seed
16-17
Championships @ Harvard