Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
.png)
May 31 - The Carolinas’ Division I Women will join the South Atlantic Rugby Conference (SARC) for the Fall 2023 season. This move adds five new teams to National Collegiate Rugby’s rapidly-expanding Division I competition.
The new SARC teams include:
Virginia Tech will rejoin its historical competition after participating as an independent school during the 2022-23 season.
Following the move to SARC, the teams will participate in National Collegiate Rugby’s Fall 15s and Spring 7s seasons. With the exception of Virginia Tech, the teams had played their primary 15s season in the Spring.
Mel Cochrane will join the SARC leadership team, serving as the Division I commissioner. In addition to their conference role, Cochrane is also the coach for North Carolina.
This new Division I group brings additional depth to NCR’s Division I competition that includes 30 large universities and features several high-profile conferences including the Big Ten, Midwest and Lonestar. The teams will join Clemson in SARC’s Division I league.
Cochrane stated, “I'm thrilled to be a part of the long-awaited reunion of our conference's teams. This is an exceptional opportunity for us to reignite the shared legacy and unwavering passion that made our conference great. I'm inspired by NCR’s vision for collegiate rugby. They understand the significance of the collegiate level in driving the sport forward and its dedicated administrators are committed to the success of all teams.”
The SARC was established in 2020 as an NCR member conference with teams in Division I, Division II and Small College. Following the merger with the Carolinas, the organization will serve 30 women’s teams across the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
Angela Smarto, NCR’s Division I Director added, “Speaking with the coaches and student leadership of these teams, I share their excitement for next season. These clubs have some of the richest history in all of college rugby, and they’re ready to play for championships year round with NCR.”
Photo Credit: John Zangari - zangarimedia
