May 8, 2023

National Collegiate Rugby Adds MARC Division II Women

May 8 - The Division II women from the Mid Atlantic Rugby Conference will join National Collegiate Rugby starting in the Fall 2023 season. The MARC DII women’s group includes seven teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. 

The MARC Division II Women’s teams include:

  • Bloomsburg University
  • Drexel University
  • Kutztown University
  • Rowan University
  • St. Joseph’s University
  • Temple University
  • University of Delaware

The MARC Division II Women previously played in the Fall VXs competition under the Collegiate Rugby Association of America.

The MARC Women include long-time playoff contender, Temple University, who finished fourth in 2022 and second in 2021 in the CRAA fall playoffs. Both Temple and Kutztown University recently played in NCR’s 2023 National 7s Championship with Kutztown winning the Premier Challenge Bowl over Aquinas College and Temple taking fifth place in the Division II bracket.

NCR’s Women’s Director, Angela Smarto, commented: “The MARC is a fantastic addition of competitive clubs to the Division II competition. They are ready to compete year round for national championships.”

The MARC women add to NCR’s rapidly expanding Division II competition that serves 80 programs across the country. The Division II competition provides a Fall XVs national championship pathway, Spring National 7s championship and an annual All Star tournament.

The Mid Atlantic Rugby Conference serves over 60 collegiate and university rugby programs and 3,000 student athletes in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC. The MARC administers Men’s Division I-AA, Men’s Division II, Men’s Small College and Women’s Division II competitive rugby programs. Following the Division II Women’s move, all MARC teams will play in National Collegiate Rugby.

MARC Commissioner, Jon Niles added, “We look forward to our women’s teams joining NCR, and receiving the same service and marketing support that all of our men’s divisions receive. The change also provides our women’s division with strong competition and regional championship pathways.”

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