The addition of men’s and women’s rugby at Adrian College has an interesting twist or two.

First off, there’s the fact that the school decided to add the sport despite the COVID-19 shutdowns and the question-marks regarding whether colleges can even afford to have as many sports teams as they have. Adrian, instead of paring back, added a sport, and they chose rugby.

That in and of itself is significant, and a nod to the fact that small colleges around the country recognize that having a strong rugby program can attract students.

Then there’s the fact that the Adrian College teams will play in two very different organizations. This is something rugby fans understand—there’s ACRA and NIRA and NCR and CRAA and we at least understand that they exist and the organizations can work in a fractured universe. But you have to know that the Adrian College administration didn’t know this. And it’s likely that when they learned how the game is in the USA, they scratched their heads and wondered what the heck they’d got themselves into. 

The women’s team, as reported earlier on GRR—Adrian College Adding Varsity Rugby For Fall 2021—will be joining the NIRA league as a full NCAA varsity program. 

Meanwhile, the men’s team will be in the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) small-college division. Both are looking to hire head coaches. Go Here To See Coaching Job Postings>>

NCR actually worked closely with Adrian to get this all done. NCR founder Steve Cohen provided guidance to the college for six months, linking Adrian up with NIRA leadership as well as sharing information on the conferences, schools, and clubs in the area. (Adrian is in Michigan.) Cohen outlined what the programs would need to get off the ground, and also worked with the men’s club team on how to improve its relationship with the school administrators.

It’s kind of a no-brainer and something many college club teams have wanted. Such support has been spotty in the past, but perhaps without it the men’s team might not have received the status on campus it will enjoy starting next year. The college also got some planning help from faculty member Scott Westfall, who played rugby at Colorado State, and they are already working on building a brand-new rugby facility.

Recently, the College purchased the former United Auto Workers building on nearly 11 acres of property located about a mile from campus. The plans are to develop an open field space for rugby competition in time for the 2021-22 school year.

“National Collegiate Rugby is pleased that Adrian College has decided to introduce rugby to its students," said Cohen in a statement. Rugby creates a culture for student-athletes who have a common mindset on bettering themselves both as an athlete and as a person. The camaraderie with teammates and opponents which is inherent to rugby will create friendships that will last a lifetime.”