Thomas College Adding NCAA Rugby, Hires Douglas as Coach

07.16.2024

Thomas College will be adding the institution's first ever Women's Rugby program in the fall of 2025 and have signed on former USA Eagle Farrah Douglas as their new Head Coach.

The team will play in the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) and starting competition in the Fall of 2025.

"Farrah brings a wealth of experience as a coach and student-athlete," said Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Christopher Parsons. "Her involvement with the USA Women's Rugby team at multiple levels shows a high level of coaching expertise that will prove to be extremely valuable to our institution and department."

Douglas participated in both Women's Rugby and Track and Field at Bowdoin College. Since then, Douglas spent seven years as the Head Coach of Women's Rugby at NCAA Division I school Mount Saint Mary's University. From 2012-2016 she served as an Assistant Coach of the USA Women's Rugby team, and an assistant on the USA U20 Women from 2021-2023.

Emphasizing support while also having disciplined expectations, Douglas's coaching style is focused around developing a positive environment with personalized guidance. She believes that instilling resilience and character through maintaining high standards allows for student-athletes to reach their full potential on and off the field.

When asked about what she is looking forward to and what excites her about the new addition to athletics Douglas stated, "The opportunity to build a brand-new Women's Rugby program at Thomas is incredibly exciting… This program will not only elevate the profile of women's sports at Thomas College but also provide student-athletes with unparalleled opportunities for personal growth, teamwork, and athletic achievement."

Douglas started work at Thomas on July 1; she basically has a year to put together her squad before officially starting competition.

Founded in 1894, Thomas College is in Waterville, Maine and boasts about 1,800 undergraduates. The school offers over 30 majors, but started as a business college and its business program remains a big part of its curriculum. About 45% of the student body plays intercollegiate sports; Thomas College is a Division III school and that is good news for NIRA as it builds what looks to be a pretty robust DIII league, with defending champions being fellow Mainiacs Bowdoin.

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