(NCR Press Release)—National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has opened registration for the 2021-22 season on August 2.

Registration will be available for NCR clubs, players and coaches, as well as referees.

NCR will provide championship pathways for men’s Division I, Division I-AA, Division II, and Small College, as well as women’s Open Division and Small College. All 15s National Championships will be held in the Fall with the Spring featuring the Collegiate Rugby Championships for 7s.

According to NCR, over 600 men’s and women’s clubs have committed to NCR for the upcoming season. Despite the COVID impact and ongoing pandemic challenges, most NCR clubs are planning a full return to rugby in the Fall. Through its Student Leadership program, NCR is providing support to all clubs that have seen a reduction in recruiting due to last year’s missed season.

“We’re proud of how our members stayed engaged last year through NCR’s virtual season and the CRCs. But nothing beats getting back to a full competition schedule. We are really excited that our players will get back out on the field this year.” said Jeremy Treece, NCR CEO.

While membership fees are unchanged, the 2021-22 Season will include increased operational investment and competition opportunities including:

●  The Best of all the Rest (BOAR) Collegiate Rugby Challenge will be open to non-playoff teams and run in parallel with the Fall Championship playoffs.

●  A new registration system that streamlines processing time; provides online score reporting, standings, and schedules; and enables conferences to add member fees that are paid directly into conference bank accounts.

Treece added: “As NCR continues to build scale, we are able to make more investments for the benefit of our members. We are particularly focused on adding more competition opportunities and modernizing our technology platform.”

Starting this season, NCR is offering free referee registration to better connect referees with NCR news, scheduling, and the new referee of the month program. The registration is optional and—regardless of their registration status—all referees automatically receive insurance coverage when they officiate an NCR match.

Clubs that are interested in joining NCR for the upcoming season should contact Lucy Zugschwert, Membership Director at lucy@ncr.rugby.