The National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) is proud to announce the selections for the Penn Mutual NSCRO Women’s 7s Select Side that will compete at the Los Angeles Invitational (LAI)on Feb. 28-29, 2020.
Players were selected through either the online player recommendation process, participation in the the NSCRO 15s National Championship, or participation in the recent NSCRO Women’s 7s All Star Championship.
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This is the most experienced squad the program has fielded. It includes 10 players who have previously represented NSCRO in either 7s or 15s. They are joined by newcomers Anika Blackman of Albright College and Amanda Wisbeck of Endicott College.
NSCRO 7s SELECT SIDE / LAI 7s
Anika Blackman – Albright College, Pa.
Britni Ebert – MiraCosta College, Calif.
Anna Fleecs – Wayne State College, Neb.
Stephie Franz – Eckerd College, Fla.
Cecilia Hammond – College of St. Benedict, Minn.
Brook Hoesing – Wayne State College, Neb.
Nicole McCardle – Endicott College, Mass.
Tylea McCarthy-Walker – SUNY Oswego, N.Y.
Jasmyn Nash – MSU Moorhead, Minn.
Lauren Nelson – Wayne State College, Neb.
Emily Sion – St.Bonaventure University, N.Y.
Amanda Wisbeck – Endicott College, Mass.
StaffBryn Chivers Jeff NoeBrianna Woodworth
With the demise of the CRC this will be the only event for the 7s team this year and the emphasis will then shift to the Women’s 15s Select Side that will compete in early summer.
The Penn Mutual NSCRO programs are open to all NSCRO players. Coaches can complete the Player Recommendation Form to refer players at anytime for either the 7s or 15s programs.
The program is made possible by Penn Mutual and their continued support of small college women’s rugby.
Contact Bryn Chivers [bryn.chivers@gmail.com, (773) 308-3430] if you have questions about the program or would like to discuss a player in more detail.
NSCRO STRATEGY UPDATE
Since NSCRO’s last member announcement on Dec. 16, we have made good progress in implementing our independent operating model and building an even stronger environment for both men’s and women’s collegiate rugby. I wanted to provide several updates related to our strategy. Bryn Chivers, Jeremy Treece, Steve Hiatt and I have already spoken to many of our Conference leaders this week about our strategy in anticipation of this written release and received a very positive response.
Independent Operating ModelUnder an independent operating model, NSCRO will handle all registration and provide insurance to our members for the 2020-21 season. We are confident that we can deliver an insurance solution that is equal to or better than the current policy. Also, we are actively working with a technology provider to develop a new registration platform for our members.
Under our new strategy more investment will go into the growth and development of current and future teams.
Organizational StructureWhile passionate volunteers will always be critical to our success, we must bolster our staffing structure to ensure the continued success and stability of NSCRO. Our size and scope requires that we fund several core roles such as a CEO, men’s director, women’s director, development officer, and marketing & membership staff. And, we will continue to offer appropriate stipends to other important roles including regional commissioners.
New Open DivisionStarting in the 2020 fall season, NSCRO will expand our services to include larger schools currently competing in other divisions. These teams would be eligible for all of the services provided by NSCRO and would compete in a newly created Open Division for national competitions. We will also evolve our brand to represent a broader collegiate rugby constituency, and plan to introduce the new brand in the coming months.
The inclusion of large schools will not have any effect on NSCRO’s current small school competition structure. By broadening our reach, NSCRO will strengthen our proposition to current members through better cost efficiencies, greater choice across competitive levels, and access to more play-off venues.
Relationship with USA RugbyAs you know, USA Rugby will be restructuring in the coming months. NSCRO representatives are providing regular input to USA Rugby’s restructuring process and we intend to create a new relationship with USA Rugby that mutually benefits both organizations. However, starting next season, we will no longer mandate individual player memberships with USA Rugby. We will consider financial support in proportion to the services and value that it brings our members.
If you have any questions, please contact Jeremy Treece (men’s rugby) or Bryn Chivers (women’s rugby).
With you,
Steve CohenNSCRO President and CEO