News and Press Releases from USA Rugby
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November 22, 2010
USA Rugby Board of Directors Approves College Restructuring
PlanBOULDER, COLO. The USA Rugby Board of Directors on
November 12 approved a new administrative and competitive structure for
intercollegiate rugby. Over a three-year period, collegiate rugby
will transition to a conference-based structure in order to accommodate
increased participation and to ease the administrative burden of
collegiate rugby programs.
The changes approved by the Board were proposed by USA Rugby’s College
Strategic Committee following a five-month study of college competition
and administration.
Under the new plan, USA Rugby’s College Division will be governed by an
11-person Management Council. The College Division will also have its own
eligibility committee as well as men’s and women’s competition committees
that will oversee postseason play.
“This is a positive step for American rugby,” USA Rugby Chairman Kevin
Roberts said. “College leaders will now focus on growing the college game
and club leaders will focus on doing the same for clubs.
“We’ve seen the positive results this type of leadership structure has
created at the youth and high school level. We have every expectation we
will see the same results at the college and club levels.”
The Management Council will replace the College Strategic Committee and
the Eligibility and Competition committees will have oversight of all
college eligibility and competition issues. Members of the Management
Council and eligibility and competition committees will come from the
ranks of college coaches and administrators.
At the local level, college programs will begin to transition to a
conference-based competition and administrative structure following the
end of the 2010-2011 season. This transition will take place over a
three-year period.
All teams will remain in good standing with their Territorial Unions
(TUs)/Local Area Unions (LAUs) during the 2010-2011 season.
While the approved proposal deals solely with the structure of college
rugby, the Board agreed that this plan will have ramifications beyond
college rugby as it is the first step in addressing several key issues
facing the sport in America.
“I would like to commend the College Strategic Committee for its work on
this proposal and their vision for the future,” USA Rugby CEO and
President of Rugby Operations Nigel Melville said. “Rugby has started to
take market share from traditional American sports and in order to
capitalize on this trend we must look and feel like an American sport.
This new model is the first step in that direction.”
REASONS FOR THE RESTRUCTURE
• The rapid increase in participation rates is adding to the pressure
on current administrative structures.
• Adopting a well-tried and tested American sports model will increase
support and understanding of rugby from sports administrators, parents,
players, media, sponsors and broadcasters.
• The development of State-Based Rugby Organizations (SBRO) has created
explosive growth at the Youth and High School level.
• College rugby will grow as a result of the increase in the number of
high school and youth programs.
• The announcement of rugby as an Olympic sport has increased the
opportunity for USA Rugby’s NCAA Emerging Sports Initiative.
TRANSITION TIME LINE
While the leadership structure will be put in place by the end of the
2010-2011 season, the transition of college programs into conferences
will be phased in over a three-year period.
Men’s Division I programs have already begun competing in a conference
system and will add the administrative component to their conferences for
the 2011-2012 season. Men’s Division II programs will have until the
start of the 2012-2013 season and men’s Division III programs will have
until the start of the 2013-2014 season.
Programs at all levels may begin moving into conferences for the
2011-2012 season but teams in each Division should plan to complete the
transition by the dates listed above.
Teams will need to remain in good standing with their TUs and LAUs until
they have moved into a USA Rugby-sanctioned conference.
CONFERENCE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR 2011-2012
A Division I men’s conference must have a minimum of seven Division
I-eligible schools for the 2011-2012 season in order to be eligible for
an automatic berth in the Division I playoffs for its conference
champion. For the 2011-2012 season only, a conference may count up to two
Premier League teams towards the minimum requirement.
Premier League teams will not be eligible for Division I postseason
play.
LEVEL OF PLAY
Beginning with the 2012-2013 season, to be eligible for USA Rugby
postseason competition, men’s college programs will be required to play
in divisions based on their school’s level of play within the NCAA or
NAIA. The breakdown will be as follows:
USA Rugby Division I: NCAA Division I-A (FBS)
USA Rugby Division II: NCAA Division I-AA (FCS), I-AAA, Division II
USA Rugby Division III: NCAA Division III, NAIA, junior college, all
first year programs
PLEASE NOTE: There is no postseason restriction on programs that
choose to play above their postseason division.
Programs that choose to play below their postseason division will not be
eligible for USA Rugby postseason play.
Programs that are currently competing below their required postseason
level are encouraged to move up to their appropriate division for the
2011-2012 season.
WOMEN’S REALIGNMENT
The timeline for movement of women’s program into the conference
structure is being finalized by the Women’s College Working Group with an
eye towards bringing those programs along on the same timeframe as the
men’s programs.
USA Rugby would like to recognize the members of the College Strategic
Committee who participated in crafting the new college structure: Pete
Seccia (USA Rugby Board member & committee chairman), Todd Bell (USA
Rugby Collegiate Director), Chip Auscavitch (NERFU), Marty Bradley
(University of Tennessee), Pat Kane (Wake Forest University), MaryBeth
Mathews (Bowdoin College), Dan Payne (Life University), Matt Sherman
(Stanford University) and Alex Williams (USA Rugby Women’s High
Performance Manager).
For more information contact:
Todd Bell | Director of College Rugby | USA Rugby |
tbell@usarugby.org
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2009 National Sevens Referee Program Annual Report
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have attached the 2009 Annual Report for our National Sevens Referee
Program. Please let me know if you have any questions or ideas for
moving forward.
I want to thank everyone for their guidance and support over the past several years and I am optimistic about our future.
Hope to see you all on a pitch somewhere soon.
Paddy Mac
Patrick McNally
National Sevens Referee Manager
USA Rugby
Cell 323-899-2471
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2009 Annual Report |
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