PANTHERS

History of Division III East Coast Rugby Championships

USA Rugby, the governing body for the sport in the United States, sanctions Men’s and women’s collegiate Division I and Division II championships each year.

            Most of the universities advancing to these tournaments are large state universities with large student bodies and rugby programs that have a rich tradition.  As the popularity of the rugby spread on college campuses in late 1990s – particularly along the East Coast where there are greater a concentration of small colleges – the need for a Division III structure arose.

            The new division, adopted in 2001 by the Mid-Atlantic, New England and Rugby South rugby football unions, gave small colleges (those with an enrollment of 7,000 or less) a venue that they could compete in.  As anticipated this new division sparked renewed interest on small college.  During the past two years, for example, four new teams (Winthrop, College of Charleston, Lander and Coastal Carolina) were added in South Carolina alone.

            There are currently 66 Division III rugby programs on the East Coast (30 in the Rugby South, 22 in New England and 14 in the Mid-Atlantic).  In 2002, college rugby officials with these respective unions developed the Division III East Coast College Championship Tournament.  The event, to be hosted by each union on rotating basis, would give Division III schools the opportunity to advance beyond regional play and hopefully pave the way USA Rugby to officially adopt a Division III national championship tournament.