About

NCR’s mission is to promote the growth and development of collegiate rugby both on and off the field, supporting teams, student-athletes, and coaches at every level.
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Founded in 2007 as the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO), NCR has since evolved into the world’s largest collegiate rugby organization, serving programs across all divisions.

Each year, we introduce the sport to thousands of new players and fans, while providing top-tier competition for the nation’s best athletes.

NCR welcomed 20 new programs in 2025-26 surpassing 20,000 members and continuing steady growth from year to year. Women’s rugby grew considerably with women now making up 47% of collegiate rugby players.

Our teams compete in Division I, Division I-AA, Division II and Division III, ranging from full varsity programs to grassroots clubs. Through our championship pathways and recognition programs, we celebrate our members’ success both on and off the pitch.

Across 45 conferences, 90 men’s and women’s teams qualify for postseason play.
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Following regional playoffs across the country, the best teams book their spot at the national championship weekends hosted in Houston, Texas.
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Championship weekends draw 6,000+ fans to Houston to watch championship matches and high-profile bowl games including the Lone Star Bowl and Paladin Bowl.

National 7s is the largest collegiate event in the world with 144 schools and 2,200 athletes competing over the three-day tournament.

The best 7s teams in the country qualify for National 7s during a highly-competitive regular season that includes over 100 collegiate 7s tournaments across the country.

In its 17th year, the 2027 Collegiate Rugby Championship will be one of the biggest ever with 10,000+ fans and 100 hours of live-streamed action.

NCR’s High Performance Athlete Program focuses on developing the physical, mental, and tactical skills necessary for athletes to excel at the highest levels of rugby competition.

Each year, over 300 men and 250 women are selected to attend the national All Star Tournaments. These events attract professional scouts from Major League Rugby, Women’s Elite Rugby, and Premier Rugby 7s.

In addition, NCR select teams participate in national tournaments and take international tours, such as 2024 All American tour to France, 2025 tours to Portugal and England, and 2026 tours to Portugal.

The success of college rugby is driven by people.

NCR employs a dedicated team to deliver exceptional membership services and events.

Our sport thrives thanks to the tireless efforts of Conference Commissioners, coaches, and countless volunteers who contribute to everything from team training to matchday operations and national events.

NCR teams are also supported by an elite community of referees, who officiate over 7,000 regular season matches in both 15s and 7s, as well as more than 500 high-performance playoff and championship games.

Our goal is to propel rugby into a Top 5 college sport based on popularity.

NCR athletes and teams are accomplishing incredible feats. We highlight and showcase their achievements to the widest possible audience using our social media, website, NCR app, and streaming.

As our fan base grows, we attract national sponsors and media partners that continue to invest in our sport.

Our members have built a $3.6 million organization with the scale and financial strength to drive the aggressive growth of college rugby and bolster grassroots development.

While membership fees remain a critical funding source, we take pride in offering one of the best value propositions in college club sports.

To further sustain and expand our efforts, we are actively diversifying our revenue streams through increased event attendance, strategic sponsorships, and third-party donations. In 2023 membership fees accounted for 76% of total revenue, over the years that number has decreased to 58%.

NCR reinvests 100% of membership revenue directly into college rugby. By allocating all revenue back to members, we provide dedicated staffing, high-quality competitions, marketing, vital infrastructure and customized insurance.

Recent investments include doubling the membership services team, hiring a full-time marketing director, hiring a finance manager, improving the new competition app, and bringing the competitions team full-time.