The Facts About NCR
NCR’s mission is to promote the growth and development of collegiate rugby both on and off the field, supporting teams, student-athletes, and coaches at every level. We are proud to serve 20,000 student-athletes and 665 clubs across the country.
NCR’s mission is to promote the growth and development of collegiate rugby both on and off the field, supporting teams, student-athletes, and coaches at every level. We are proud to serve 20,000 student-athletes and 665 clubs across the country.
To safeguard our member programs and the growth of college rugby nationwide, National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has been forced to take legal action against USA Rugby. NCR operates as an independent, member-driven, not-for-profit Amateur Sports Organization under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, which grants us exclusive jurisdiction over our collegiate competitions and programs. This means NCR is authorized to administer collegiate rugby independently of USA Rugby.
Unfortunately, USA Rugby’s actions, including impeding our business by misrepresenting NCR to referees and the wider community, have left us with no other choice but to seek a legal resolution. This is not about a power struggle; it is about upholding the fundamental principle that college athletes should not be required to pay a “participation tax” to a national governing body to play their sport.
We seek a contemporary relationship with USA Rugby that is consistent with other collegiate sports while supporting grassroots participation, coaching and referee development and national team success.
Why has NCR taken legal action against USA Rugby?
NCR has taken legal action to protect our member organizations and maintain the growth of college rugby across the United States. The actions taken by USA Rugby are impeding the success of college rugby through:
- Interfering in NCR’s business dealings by discouraging referees from officiating in matches
- Defaming NCR by misrepresenting the safety, disciplinary structure, and legitimacy of its competitions
- Engaging in deceptive trade practices by issuing misleading statements to referees and the wider rugby community
The decision to file this lawsuit was not taken lightly and is the result of years of attempting to work with USA Rugby for the betterment of collegiate players and programs.
2007 – 2019
NSCRO
National Small College Rugby Organization (NCR’s predecessor entity) members paid fees to USA Rugby in exchange for basic membership services.
2020
NSCRO -> NCR
NSCRO is rebranded to National Collegiate Rugby, and becomes an independent collegiate athletic association serving all divisions of college rugby. Like other independent collegiate associations (i.e., NCAA), NCR establishes eligibility, insurance, and systems to independently support its membership.
2021
Partnership Discussion
USA Rugby and National Collegiate Rugby meet to discuss formal partnership. USA Rugby insists that all collegiate players pay $18 with no tangible benefits.
2023
Continued Discussion
NCR Executive team meet with USA Rugby board members. NCR proposes a working group to build a partnership. USA Rugby insists that all college players pay the full registration fee with little in return.
Sept 2023
Overview to World Rugby
NCR Team presents a college rugby overview to World Rugby. No follow up action taken.
Jan 2025
Lawsuit filed
NCR files lawsuit
Ted Stevens Act
Myths and Facts
This federal law grants certain independent amateur athletic organizations – including collegiate, armed services, and high schools – with exclusive jurisdiction over its constituent players, coaches, and teams.
This regulatory framework is visible across NCAA and NAIA collegiate sports, none of which are required to pay membership dues to national governing bodies. Many other collegiate club sports also operate as independent athletic associations with no participation “tax” being paid to the national governing body. The National Club Softball Association, National Club Baseball Association, and the National Club Basketball Association are just three examples.
MYTH 2: NCR’s independent model undermines referee support and development.
NCR and its clubs invest over $1.3 million annually in referee development and support, directly funding national and local referee organizations and providing XXX matches per year including XX high-performance opportunities.
NCR values USA Rugby’s important role as the referee certification body, and hopes to work with USA Rugby to recruit the next generation of referee
MYTH 3: NCR-registered players are not eligible for national team selection.
NCR players and coaches are clearly eligible for national team selection as evidenced by the numerous player and coach selection in the national team programs. Selectors want the best players regardless of affiliation, and are not going to ignore the largest collegiate association.
Consistent with other sports, athletes and coaches who participate in national selection programs or player pools need to register with the governing body. Only a small percentage of players participate in national team programs, which makes USA Rugby registration unnecessary for the vast majority of collegiate rugby players.
Over 850,000 students participate in intercollegiate sports in the U.S., and virtually none of these student-athletes pay registration fees to their sports national governing body.
In the few exceptions (squash, ultimate), the association receives services from their governing bodies in exchange for the registration fees.
MYTH 5: Referees are only allowed to officiate USA Rugby-sanctioned matches.
Referees are independent contractors and are free to work with any rugby association that they choose.
MYTH 6: Referees are unsafe when officiating an NCR match.
NCR has robust risk management procedures and provides full liability and accident insurance for referees. In addition, NCR carefully monitors disciplinary incidents and referee abuse.
MYTH 7: NCR is in competition with USA Rugby to become the national governing body.
USA Rugby is the sole national governing body for our sport, and the conduit with World Rugby and the USOPC. NCR which is an amateur athletic association. The organizations serve different purposes and membership groups (i.e. like US Soccer and the NCAA).
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