THE COLLEGE PATHWAY: WHAT EVERY PLAYER NEEDS TO KNOW The college rugby landscape is competitive - and not just because of all the talented high school players vying for USA COLLEGE RUGBY OPPORTUNITIES coaches’ attention. Rugby players are students first and athletes second. Their academic performance has a big influence on scholarships and admissions as well as their Men’s Women’s overall compatibility with a school. In some cases, it’s the best indicator of how well a student will be able to manage their time when they make the transition from high school to college. Div I Teams 161 97 The college rugby landscape is complex - College rugby is quickly gaining speed in the USA, but it’s not growing according Div II Teams 129 155 to a clearly structured plan. The divisions aren’t analogous to mainstream sports and neither are the recruiting dynamics. Small College (NSCRO) 238 99 USA Rugby Divisions Post Season Conferences & Championships DI-A - Men Ex: Life Univ., St. Mary’s College, Univ. of Arizona USA Rugby National Championships (15s & 7s, Men & Women) DI-Elite - Women Ex: Penn St, BYU, Central Washington Univ. NSCRO National Championships (15s & 7s, Men & Women) DI-AA - Men Only Varsity Cup - 15s, Men Only Ex: Univ. of CA Davis, Univ. of Central Florida Ex: Cal, Clemson, BYU, Arkansas State, Utah DII - Men Ex: Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth, Furman Univ. CRC - 7s, Men & Women DII - Women Ex: Winona State, Vassar College (Collegiate Rugby Championship, NBC Broadcast) Ex: Kutztown, Michigan, UCLA, Cal, Dartmouth Small College/ NSCRO - Men NCAA Varsity League - Women Only, 13 members Ex: New England College, St. Edwards Univ. Ex: Harvard, Brown, Army, Dartmouth, Quinnipiac Small College/ NSCRO - Women Ex: Minnesota State Moorhead, Colgate, Wayne State Coll. TheEx: New college England College, rugby St. landscapeEdwards is dynamic - New programs are popping up left and right. Established programs are changing divisions. Coaches and camps are constantly reshuffling, but Rugger’s Edge keeps close tabs on who is where and how their programs stack up against one another. A great fit is well within reach - High schoolers have never had so many outstanding opportunities to play college rugby in America. We firmly believe that Rugger’s Edge can help every student find their “best fit” rugby program at a school that meets all of their academic needs. To help get the process started, we’ve outlined some of the key steps you can take to start making progress towards your college rugby goals: Next Steps DO THESE ON YOUR OWN: LET RUGGER’S EDGE HELP YOU: Spend time thinking about your preferred college setting Rugger's Edge will take all of your preferences into account, (school size, weather, distance from home, etc). then analyze your athletic and academic abilities to create a personalized "best fit" list of target schools just for you. Start thinking about what sorts of majors/careers you might be interested in pursuing. Spend time thinking about the level of rugby you want to play in college (social vs competitive vs. high performance). Spend time thinking about the level of rugby you want to play in college (social vs competitive vs. high performance). Discuss financial matters with your family and outline a budget for college. Make a list or spreadsheet of school-specific application Let Rugger's Edge use their proven application strategies to requirements and Common Application essay prompts that optimize your chances of admission. Your advisor will help appeal to you. Start thinking about your answers and jotting you with brainstorming and give you advice on which topics down ideas so that you'll be prepared to make the most of your will help you get noticed. Once you've put together rough time with Rugger's Edge. drafts for each essay, your advisor will review your work and walk you through their comments and suggested edits, giving you advice on how to highlight special talents and address unusual circumstances. Your advisor will help you stay on top of your application timeline and they'll even do a final review of your application materials before you submit them. Take a closer look at your social media presence and make Let Rugger's Edge help you make contact with college changes as necessary. coaches to let them know that you're interested in their programs, that you'd like to connect with them at a camp or Start following teams and coaches on your target schools list. that you'd like to schedule a campus visit. No need to spend hours searching for contact info; our personal relationships Get to know your target teams by watching footage of their with a vast network of coaches will connect you with the games online. best contacts for maximum effects in minimal time. Create a rough draft of your rugby resume using our free Let Rugger's Edge help you edit your resume and provide template: http://www.ruggersedge.com/downloads/sample- feedback on your rugby recruit video to make them both as rugby-recruit-athlete-resume/ compelling as possible. Then, Rugger's Edge can teach you about the right and wrong ways to share your materials with Pick up a copy of the Rugger's Edge "College Playbook" and coaches. follow the guidelines to create a video that gives coaches a realistic picture of your abilities. .