The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) governs women’s varsity collegiate rugby in the United States under the NCAA emerging sport framework. NIRA organizes competition across Division I, a combined Division II/III, and a Developmental Division that supports new or growing varsity programs. Division I features established powerhouses such as Dartmouth, Harvard, and Army, while the combined DII/III tier brings together competitive mid-sized and small colleges for meaningful postseason play. The Developmental Division provides a pathway for schools transitioning to varsity status, helping expand and strengthen women’s collegiate rugby nationwide.
How AIC Won NIRA's DII Final
AIC beat West Chester to win the NIRA DII final because they refused to allow themselves to ponder defeat, and because they finally had accepted the truth about themselves.
Women College Scores Around the Country
Here are scores from key women's college games around the nation.
Perfect: Dartmouth Wins NIRA, Goes 9-0, Over Brave West Point
Dartmouth held off a West Point 28-18 in a thrilling, action-filled NIRA DI final Saturday night at the US Military Academy.
Paced by a stifling rush defense and two pivotal tries from No. 8 Idia Ihensekhien, the Big Green ran out to an early lead and held on in a back-and-forth match.
How Army Surprised Everyone to Make the NIRA Final
The NIRA DI final is Saturday night and features Dartmouth and … Army (?). That’s right, Army.
It’s not that Army wasn’t playing well going into the semifinals, but they had not put themselves in position to be favorites. They finished the regular season 4-2-1, tying Brown (who they beat in OT but the OT didn’t count in NIRA), and losing to Dartmouth and Harvard.
Some Surprises as NIRA Finalizes Championship Pairings
The finals matchups for the NIRA championship weekend are set after a couple of surprises Saturday.
Dartmouth beat Brown as expected, winning 56-5. Lilly Durbin paced the Big Green with four tries while Kristin Bitter added two.
