slide 1

NOTE: Only paying subscribers have access to locked content. LEARN MORE.

UNH is 26th NCAA Varsity Program

  • 23 Feb 2021
  • 223 Views

PRESS RELEASE

WEST HAVEN, CONN. – University of New Haven Director of Athletics and Recreation Sheahon Zenger is announcing the addition of women’s rugby, an NCAA emerging sport, as the 18th varsity program sponsored by the University.

“Providing new opportunities for students in the classroom and on the field of play remains a priority for the University of New Haven,” said Zenger. “Rugby is a welcome addition to our menu of women’s athletics opportunities and continues to show the support the University has for athletics. With the success of our club rugby team in recent years we look forward to fielding a competitive team right from the start.”

Since 2002, women’s rugby has been considered an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women. An emerging sport is a women’s sport recognized by the NCAA that is intended to help schools provide more athletics opportunities for women and more sport sponsorship options for an institution, while also helping that sport achieve NCAA championship status.

Until rugby achieves NCAA Championship status, the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) serves as the defacto conference and advocacy association for the sport of rugby sponsored at the NCAA level. In the 2021-22 school year, the NIRA will sponsor 26 teams across three different divisions, including eight in Division II. Three teams from Connecticut are members of the NIRA; Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart and Post University, while American International represents the only other program from the Northeast-10 Conference.

With a long standing history of women’s athletics dating back to 1975, women’s rugby is the fifth women’s program added at New Haven in the last 25 years, and the second new women’s program in the last five years. Women’s rugby follows women’s soccer (1993), track and field (1996) lacrosse (2001) and field hockey (2017).

A search will begin immediately with anticipation of hiring a coach in the coming months. Interested in playing women’s rugby at New Haven? Click Here to fill out a student-athlete interest form.

Article Categories:
COLLEGE

Leave a Reply