National Collegiate Rugby will expand Division I women’s competitions to a Division I varsity level and Division I-AA club model, bringing the total to four women’s divisions for the XVs season. Seven highly competitive clubs will form the new Division I, while the remaining Division I programs will be reclassified as DI-AA.

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The new structure mirrors the four-division championship that already exists within the women’s 7s competition, and brings greater consistency across the women’s and men’s divisional formats. DI-AA can anticipate a more level playing field with additional opportunities for post season competition.

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For the XVs season, Division I combines several existing DI varsity programs with two new programs, Penn State University and Brigham Young University. This highly competitive division includes the following teams:

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• Aquinas College
• Brigham Young University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Southern Nazarene University
• St. Bonaventure University
• Walsh University
• Wheeling University

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Penn State and BYU bring two historic programs to the NCR competition. Penn State carries a tremendous legacy in women’s collegiate rugby with 12 XVs national championships and four 7s titles. BYU has been a steadfast top team in the country finishing in the top 8 almost every year of competitive play since 2000, including three titles of their own. These two programs join the 2024 National Champions, Wheeling University, along with Southern Nazarene, which was the 2024 national runnerup. The field of seven is expected to grow, as multiple teams are transitioning to full varsity programs.

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The DI postseason will include national semifinals with the winners advancing to the National Championships on December 6 in Houston. The top two teams from the West, along with the top two teams from the East will qualify for the national semifinals. The DI final will be held alongside the Women’s DI-AA, DII, and DIII Championship matches for a full weekend of women’s collegiate rugby.

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DI-AA will be the deepest Division I club competition in the nation with over 40 large school club programs including universities such as Boise State University, Ohio State University, University of Michigan, and the University of Virginia.

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Women’s Director, Alycia Washington said of the expansion, “Restructuring the women’s DI league is an exciting step toward raising the level of competition and creating a true premier division. It brings greater alignment across college rugby and sets us up to keep pushing the women’s game forward.”

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This new tier reflects the continued expansion and competitive depth of women’s collegiate rugby under NCR, which serves 85% of non-NCAA women’s rugby programs nationwide.

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