Great Midwest Rugby Conference

In Spring 2012, the Great Midwest Rugby Conference (originally named the WIIL Rugby Conference) was formed by joining D2 collegiate men's teams from the Wisconsin RFU, Illinois RFU, and CARFU. This was done partially to comply with USA Rugby's directive on forming conferences as well as increasing competition and enhancing the reputation of rugby in the Midwest. Since then they have branched out into Iowa, as well.

The Great Midwest Conference Champion regularly has teams go far in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) national-level playoffs.

In recent years, the Great Midwest added a Small College competition, and now runs competitions in D2 and D3 (which is what Small College is now called).

Division: Men's D2
Division: Men's D3 (Small College)

Conference Website

Men's D2

Updated: October 12, 2026

11.07.2015College Men

Whitewater, L-B to WIIL Final

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Lindenwood-Belleville will face off for the WILL Conference Championship Sunday after both teams won their semifinal games in this highly-competitive men’s DII college league.

11.03.2015College Men

Bounceback NMU In to WIIL Semis

In a weekend of dramatic DII college games, one of the most dramatic was Northern Michigan’s 27-24 overtime defeat of Illinois State.

For NMU, it was a breakthrough game as it put the Moosemen in with an excellent chance of making the national playoffs. This from a team that was 1-5 last season.

10.31.2015College Men

Rankings Hold in WIIL QFs

The WIIL Conference is down to four as the quarterfinals wrapped up Saturday.

Wisconsin-Whitewater, ranked #2 by Goff Rugby Report, won comfortably, as expected, over DePaul 46-5 to book a spot in the semis. In a much closer game, Northern Michigan, ranked #13, needed overtime to get by #29 Illinois State.

10.25.2015College Men

WIIL QFs Set

The quarterfinals in the WIIL are set after the last weekend of regular season games.

UW-Whitewater already had sewn up the #1 seed from the North, and Lindenwood-Belleville had already done the same for the South. But there were some things to decide.

10.16.2015College Men

Lindenwood-Belleville Wins Wild One over UNI

In a wild and dramatic game that delivered all you'd expect of an in-conference game between the #10 and #11 teams, Lindenwood-Belleville held off Northern Iowa 35-33 to win a crucial WIIL South game.