This Friday-Sunday is massive for girls and women’s rugby in the U.S. The high school and high school club National Invitational Tournament (NIT) has brought 24 teams to Tennessee; college 7s fields elite and open divisions in Colorado; and the DI and DII clubs contest their respective national quarterfinals and semifinals.
Each year more and more college recruiters come to this event, and I love knowing that the players we’re seeing today at the NIT are the quality of players propelling the college ranks. Obviously players are being seeing elsewhere – through all-star tournaments, invitationals and at USA Rugby Academy camps – but the NIT sheds special light on those high school programs going big. One of my favorite moments from last year was seeing a host of college coaches sitting on bleachers in the try zone, getting a front-row seat to then-junior Emily Henrich score three tries in an NIT quarterfinal. It was an, “It’s happening!” moment.
While the breakout of DI Elite and Open 7s divisions is convoluted in terms of how teams qualified for which competition, the product should be a good one. The top division brings together DI Elite (as coined by USA Rugby in 15s), NIRA (NCAA-aligned varsity) and a DI program pushing its limits. It’s certainly the most competitive and diverse 7s competition for collegians. The Open brings DI and DII teams together and should be an example of how teams that focus on 7s can close the gap on each other.
Soon, if not already, we’ll see players who have featured in all three of these competitions – getting their starts in high school and experiencing the NIT; moving onto college and playing across the country; to still prioritizing rugby as adults. The club championships are pretty remarkable considering many teams starting playing league games in early September. That’s a long season and makes this weekend really special.