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Wayne State: NSCRO is our Home

  • 10 Dec 2019
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Wayne State College (WSC) won its 11th NSCRO national title (across 15s and 7s) in convincing fashion last weekend in Marietta, Ga., and the Wildcats warrant the title “dynasty.” That level of success draws admiration, but also forces the Nebraska team to defend its position in the small-school competition, an argument that Wildcat captains Anna Fleecs and Brook Hoesing are happy to address. [Photo: Lexi Villagran]

First, the following is a recap of the collegiate landscape in the U.S. There are three separate organizations (i.e., they aren’t all grouped under USA Rugby) in which women’s colleges compete:

USA Rugby, which supports fall and spring 15s championships for Division I and Division II teams, a DI Elite 15s national championship, and 7s national championships;

NIRA, which supports 15s national championships for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Division III NCAA varsity programs; and

NSCRO, which supports 15s and 7s national championships for schools with fewer than 3,500 undergraduate students.


Photo: Lexi Vallagran

The assertion that Wayne State College should “move up” is moot; there is only one division in NSCRO. There’s a misconception that NSCRO is the equivalent of a USA Rugby Division III or a lower level of competition. There are several hybrid leagues that pair NSCRO and USA Rugby DII teams together in the regular season, and MSU Moorhead, Colgate, UW Platteville and more beat their DII counterparts. NSCRO is about small schools; Wayne State College is a small school that doesn’t surprise itself with a successful season but rebuilds it every year.

“It’s easy to look at Wayne’s winning dynasty and believe they should be in a higher competition level,” Fleecs began. “As a player and captain, I can easily say that the program would largely benefit from playing at a higher level, however, we face many obstacles that put this out of our hands including the lack of higher-level teams in our area and funds. Yet, this doesn’t stop us from making the most of what is available to us. Our program thrives because of the leadership of the captains and upperclassman that has been built on the shoulders of leaders before them.


Photo: Lexi Villagran

“Every year, we start with a team of which 90% have never played rugby,” Fleecs continued. “Our coach requires practice two days a week but our captains lead practice for the other three. We set our alarms for 6:00 a.m. twice a week for player-led conditioning. We go to player-led mandatory library hours every week to make sure our team succeeds in the classroom. We partake in player-implemented sobriety periods to make sure our bodies and minds are prepared. We give back to the community through volunteering, and we follow a strict code of conduct that holds every rugger to the high standard of WSC Rugby. Our voted Executive Board sits with school advisors weekly to advocate for the advancement of our team as we strive to provide opportunities for our team. When it comes down to it, we practice like the underdogs and we simply earn everything we accomplish.”

That history of continued dedication has produced lopsided results in recent years, and while a competitive final four is an ideal scenario, that isn’t the end goal for the league. After the 15s season, the whole organization shifts to 7s, and in January, individual conferences supply all-star teams to the annual 7s tournament. Players are seen, and combined with the scouting at the 7s and 15s national championships, NSCRO names select sides for competition. Last summer, the first NSCRO 15s team competed against the USA U20s, and the NSCRO 7s team has been a regular at the (now defunct) LVI and CRCs.


Photo: Lexi Villagran

In other words, finding a new competition would mean entirely leaving an organization that reiterates the value of the small-school athlete. There are distinct, consistent pathways to higher-level opportunities, and they don’t exist everywhere. So the question becomes: Why would a team leave NSCRO?

“Most people don’t understand what we do as a team to stay at this level,” Hoesing concluded. “Like everyone else in NSCRO, our roster is comprised mostly of girls who never touched a rugby ball before college, myself and Anna being that, for example. Each season we start with a new set of girls who need to learn the basics, which means taking everyone back to step one. We are not a varsity fully funded program, we are a club who fundraises and pays dues. Why I believe we continue to dominate is because of the strong foundation of leadership that continues to be passed down and the dedication of our girls.”

Stay tuned for a separate piece with Fleecs’ and Hoesing’s insight into the NSCRO 15s championship title run.

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