National Intercollegiate Rugby Association
 | |
| Abbreviation | NIRA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2015 |
| Legal status | Association |
Region served | United States |
Official language | English |
Commissioner | Amy Rusert |
Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | nira.rugby |
The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) is a governing body of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) collegiate women's rugby programs in the United States founded in 2015.
History
The NIRA traces roots back to 2015 when eight NCAA member institutions formed the National Collegiate Varsity Women’s Rugby Association (NCVWRA) to organize collegiate competition and aid in the promotion of rugby at the varsity level in the NCAA after rugby was promoted to Emerging Sport status.[1][2]
Inaugural members of the association included Army, Bowdoin, Brown, Central Washington, Harvard, Norwich, Quinnipiac, and West Chester. Membership in the organization is limited to NCAA institutions who sponsor women’s rugby at the varsity level.[2] In 2016 the association became known as the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA).[3]
Members
As of November, 2023:[4]
Division I
| Club | Location | Nickname | Type | Joined | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army West Point | West Point, New York | Black Knights | Service Academy | 2018 | Bill LeClerc |
| Brown University | Providence, Rhode Island | Bears | Private | 2018 | Kathy Flores |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire | Big Green | Private | 2018 | Katie Dowty |
| Harvard University | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Crimson | Private | 2018 | Mel Denham |
| Long Island University | Brooklyn / Brookville, NY | Sharks | Private | 2018 | Colleen Doherty |
| Mount St. Mary's University | Emmitsburg, Maryland | Mountaineers | Private | 2018 | Farrah Douglas |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, Connecticut | Bobcats | Private | 2018 | Becky Carlson |
| Sacred Heart University | Fairfield, Connecticut | Pioneers | Private | 2018 | Michelle Reed |
Division II
| Club | Location | Nickname | Type | Joined | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American International College | Springfield, Massachusetts | Yellow Jackets | Private | 2018 | Tara Roberts |
| Davenport University | Michigan | Panthers | Private | ||
| Emory and Henry College | Emory, Virginia | Wasps | Private | ||
| Frostburg State University | Frostburg, Maryland | Bobcats | Public | ||
| Lander University | Greenwood, South Carolina | Bearcats | Public | ||
| Newberry College | Newberry, South Carolina | Wolves | |||
| University of New Haven | West Haven, Connecticut | Chargers | Private | ||
| Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina | Royals | Private | 2019 | Katie Wurst |
| West Chester University | Chester County, Pennsylvania | Golden Rams | Public | 2018 | Tony Deremer |
Division III
| Club | Location | Nickname | Type | Joined | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick, Maine | Polar Bears | Private | 2018 | MaryBeth Mathews |
| Castleton University | Castleton, Vermont | Spartans | Public | 2018 | Frank Graziano |
| Colby–Sawyer College | New London, New Hampshire | Chargers | Private | 2018 | Ken Pape |
| Guilford College | Greensboro, North Carolina | Quakers | Private | 2020 | Emily Record |
| Manhattanville University | Purchase, New York | Valiants | Private | 2020 | TBD |
| New England College | Henniker, New Hampshire | Pilgrims | Private | 2019 | Tom Campbell |
| Norwich University | Northfield, Vermont | Cadets | Private | 2018 | Austin Hall |
| University of New England | Biddeford, Maine | Nor'easters | Private | 2018 | Ashley Potvin-Fulford |
| Warren Wilson College | Swannanoa, NC | Owls | Private |
Championship finals
Division I
| Ed. | Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
2015 | Quinnipiac (1) | 24–19 |
Army | [5] |
2 |
2016 | Quinnipiac (2) | 46–24 |
Central Washington | |
3 |
2017 | Quinnipiac (3) | 29–20 |
Dartmouth | |
4 |
2018 | Dartmouth (1) | 19–14 |
Harvard | [6] |
5 |
2019 | Harvard (1) | 18–7 |
Army | [7] |
6 |
2020 | (not held due to covid-19 pandemic)
| |||
7 |
2021 | Dartmouth (2) | 28–18 |
Army | [8][9] |
8 |
2022 | Dartmouth (3) | 15–10 |
Harvard | [9][10] |
9 |
2023 | Harvard (2) | 20–12 |
Dartmouth | [11] |
Division II
- 2019 – West Chester 15–14 Brown[12]
- 2018 – Mount St. Mary's 22–15 Sacred Heart[13]
- 2017 – University of New England 57–14 Bowdoin
- 2016 – Bowdoin College 32–22 University of New England
Division III
- 2019 – Bowdoin College 27–5 University of New England [14]
References
- ^ "Emerging Sports for Women". www.ncaa.org. NCAA. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b Young, Wendy (September 11, 2014). "National Collegiate Varsity Women's Rugby Association (NCVWRA) Formed". Your Scrumhalf Connection. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
- ^ "Women's Intercollegiate Season Starts with 2015 Final Rematch". Goff Rugby Report. Aug 31, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
What was the NCWVRA [National Collegiate Women's Varsity Rugby Association] is now the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association.
- ^ Teams at NIRA website, November 27, 2023
- ^ Finlan, Jackie (November 22, 2015). "Quinnipiac, First Varsity Champion". The Goff Rugby Report. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Dartmouth Claims Program's First NIRA Championship". USA Rugby. Archived from the original on 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
- ^ "Women's Rugby Crowned NIRA National Champions After Victory Over Army West Point, 18–7". Harvard Athletics. Archived from the original on 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ Hanover for Second Time By: Charlotte Brackett, 20 Nov 2021
- ^ a b Women's Rugby to Host Two-Time Defending NIRA Champion Dartmouth at Goprincetontigers, 23 Sep 2023
- ^ Big Green Repeat as Division I NIRA Champions at darthmouthsports.com, 19 Nov 2022
- ^ Champions! #1 Women's Rugby Captures 2023 NCAA DI Championship With 20-12 Win Against #2 Dartmouth at Gocrimson.com
- ^ @NIRArugby (November 17, 2019). "Brown in possession but it's not enough. Final WCU 15 Brown 14" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "CHAMPIONS! Mount Women's Rugby Holds off Sacred Heart, 22-15, for the NIRA Tier II Championship - Mount St. Mary's". Archived from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- ^ "Women's Rugby Runs Away From UNE to Claim NIRA Division III Title". Bowdoin Athletics. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
External links
- Official website
