National Collegiate Rugby announces 2025 High Performance fixtures, including tours to Portugal and England, and an international fixture in Boston.

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The tours are a key component of NCR’s High Performance Program, which supplement the annual All Star Tournaments and All American program.

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The NCR High Performance Tours identify players with exceptional talent who may wish to pursue competition against high-caliber international teams, providing invaluable experience and exposure to global rugby standards.

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High Performance Director, Thomas Clark said of the growing program, “The NCR High Performance program is intended to showcase our top players and provide our young athletes and coaches meaningful opportunities to test themselves in a professional environment. We also want to broaden our efforts to identify and track up and coming players, including those players that might otherwise play under the radar here in the United States.”

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The first tour takes place June 4-9, and will send men’s and women’s select teams to compete in the Algarve 7s in Portugal. The Algarve 7s is the largest international rugby tournament in Europe, attracting some of the best 7s teams in the world, and takes place in the coastal city of Vila Real de Santo António.

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The High Performance team is also finalizing a men’s select XVs fixture in Boston in June,hosting international competition on domestic soil. More information is forthcoming.

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The final tour is a women’s XVs tour in England coinciding with the Women’s World Cup, August 17-31. Players will attend the first two USA matches and play against international select teams. 

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NCR’s Women’s High Performance Manager, Jamie Frech, stated, “The High Performance Athlete Program will open the door for more athletes to be tested in a professional environment and help grow the strength of high performance rugby in the US. We especially need more women playing rugby in more challenging environments and I'm thrilled we are investing in this pathway.”

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NCR’s high-performance program identifies and nurtures elite-level collegiate rugby athletes by providing advanced training, education and competition to support their growth both on and off the field. The program fosters excellence in rugby performance while promoting academic success, personal development, and long-term career readiness.

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By creating a professional environment that accelerates the high-performance pathway, NCR drives the growth and development of collegiate rugby teams, student-athletes, and coaches. This is achieved by enhancing players’ rugby intelligence and providing quality coaching resources to support their journey to success.

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NCR High Performance programs are actively recruiting for 2025. Coaches and players are encouraged to submit applications through the application form.