USA Rugby has changed its eligibility rules to allow college players to transfer to clubs in the same season, pening a transfer approval.
If a club requests the transfer, and the player's college approves the transfer in writing, then the players can make the move. The change in the rules comes as more and more college players are seeking to play at a higher level. Often college season are finished in April, and with club playoffs going into June, there's plenty of playing opportunity for a college athletes. In the past, a college player could only transfer between seasons, and college players risked losing their college eligiblity when they did so. But this left some players - often players hoping to make the national team or the All Americans - with no one to play for at the best part of the year.
College players often transferred to clubs for 7s in the summer, but within the 15s season they could not.
As announced by USA Rugby:
Under the new college-to-club exemption, a collegiate player may join a senior club at the conclusion of his or her team’s intercollegiate schedule without forfeiting future collegiate eligibility, and become eligible for senior club qualifying matches following an approved transfer request. As with any club transfer request, a written release from the player’s previous club, in this case the student-athlete’s college club, must accompany the transfer request.
If a club requests the transfer, and the player's college approves the transfer in writing, then the players can make the move. The change in the rules comes as more and more college players are seeking to play at a higher level. Often college season are finished in April, and with club playoffs going into June, there's plenty of playing opportunity for a college athletes. In the past, a college player could only transfer between seasons, and college players risked losing their college eligiblity when they did so. But this left some players - often players hoping to make the national team or the All Americans - with no one to play for at the best part of the year.
College players often transferred to clubs for 7s in the summer, but within the 15s season they could not.
As announced by USA Rugby:
Under the new college-to-club exemption, a collegiate player may join a senior club at the conclusion of his or her team’s intercollegiate schedule without forfeiting future collegiate eligibility, and become eligible for senior club qualifying matches following an approved transfer request. As with any club transfer request, a written release from the player’s previous club, in this case the student-athlete’s college club, must accompany the transfer request.
The eligibility modification seeks to provide college rugby players the opportunity to gain additional match experience equal to or greater than the competitive environment of the student athlete’s collegiate regimen once his or her intercollegiate match schedule has been completed. For players deemed to be part of USA Rugby’s High Performance Player Pathway, a separate waiver can be granted to allow back-and-forth participation between college and elite senior club sides in the midst of the player’s intercollegiate schedule.
“This exemption allowing college-grade players the ability to enhance their rugby skills by playing in senior club matches will not only benefit the individual’s development, but will boost the student-athlete’s collegiate club when he or she returns to the university’s team,” said USA Rugby Collegiate Director Rich Cortez.
“Some college clubs don’t have sufficient funding to build a schedule capable of providing an adequate number of matches to ensure athletic growth. This wrinkle in our Eligibility Regulations should help mediate that.”
In addition, USA Rugby's Club Department Manager Erik Geib had this to say: “Both of these changes are a big win for colleges and senior clubs alike. Allowing college players a chance to continue their season is a common-sense update, and American rugby absolutely needs its top players to have a chance to test themselves in premier competitions like the American Rugby Premiership and Women’s Premier League without losing their collegiate eligibility.
“We’ve also put in caps to protect both sides. With the three-player roster limit per match, we’re protecting club competitions from essentially playing full college teams – especially in some rural areas where a top college side might exist. Additionally, college coaches have to explicitly name the dates their elite players play club in season, which stops club teams from pulling players away during high-profile college matches.”
USA Rugby has update their Eligibility Regulations here. And the transfer request form is here.
