Medford, NJ  April 15, 2015 - The NSCRO Challenge Cup National Championship is set for action this coming weekend at Founders Field in Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Matches will be begin on Saturday, April 18 with Washington & Lee University (East Coast Region Champion) vs. University of Northern Colorado (West Region Champion) at 12:00 PM EDT, followed by Indiana Purdue Ft. Wayne (Central Region Champion) vs. University of the Pacific (Pacific Coast Champion) at 2:00 PM EDT.  Sunday’s matches will begin with the fight for third place at 11:00 AM EDT and the championship match at 1:00 PM EDT. 
 
NSCRO will be live-streaming the matches on their website, www.nscro.org, as well as on Vimeo On-Demand (https://vimeo.com/124566128) and http://www.streampittsburgh.com/video/nscro/.  DVDs of the weekend’s matches will also be available for purchase.  

The NSCRO Challenge Cup playoff system was inaugurated for 2014-15 season for the men's playoff system. Its goal is to further the growth of small colleges who are working hard to reach the top but have yet to find success at NSCRO’s National Champions Cup where the present competition includes over 200 clubs. The introduction of the Challenge Cup has helped these teams achieve greater awareness and support on and off the field which, in the past, would have only been possible through a successful run in the larger, more competitive Champions Cup.
 
"Even though the rugby club at Pacific has been around since 1908, this is the first time that the club has achieved such success and it has greatly increased awareness both on campus and off. Attendance at home games was doubled this year and both on campus groups and alumni have been very supportive. Financial support from the school for travel has been very generous and fundraising has been more profitable than usual due to our greater exposure,” said Kreg Nelson, head coach at University of the Pacific.
 
NSCRO is very pleased that 12 of the 22 NSCRO Conferences/Unions have recognized the potential value for their clubs in participating in the Challenge Cup. The current playoff brackets are attached. 4 Regional Championship events were held to determine the final 4 teams.
 
It is important to understand that the Challenge Cup is an additional playoff pathway for teams who qualify (based on NSCRO criteria). Thus teams can be eligible for both the Champions and Challenge Cup pathways as determined by their local governing body in creating the best competitive league structure for their clubs.