- 24 teams in six Men’s Division I pools
- 16 teams in four Men’s Division II pools
- 11 teams in three Women’s Division I pools
- Nine teams in three Women’s Division II pools
- Three current College 7s title holders
- Five schools represented by men’s and women’s teams
LAFAYETTE, Colo. – The largest national championship field ever will feature 60 collegiate rugby teams that are heading to Cary, N.C., for the 2016 USA Rugby College 7s National Championships May 27-29.
WakeMed Soccer Park, in conjunction with Triangle Sports Commission and Town of Cary, will play host to nine National Champions – crowned in either 15s or the Olympic sport of Sevens – from the past three seasons, including reigning College 7s winners Lindenwood University (Men’s Division I), James Madison University (Men’s Division II; playing DI in 2016), and Pennsylvania State University (Women’s Division I).
The Men’s Collegiate Competition Committee, Men’s Division II Competition Committee, and Women’s Collegiate Competition Committee ranked the automatic qualifier and invited teams based on thorough reviews of the season’s performances to determine seedings for each division’s pools.
“The teams bound for College 7s have more than earned their right to compete for a National Championship, and we are extremely pleased with the way the pools have been put together by our competition committees,” USA Rugby Collegiate Director Rich Cortez said. “Each pool is as competitive as the next, and the mix of geography, established rivalries, and recent form will make this our most exciting event yet.”
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The 24-team Men’s DI field consists of 10 D1A Rugby schools, including 2016 runner-up Saint Mary’s College. James Madison moves up a division following the Dukes’ DII College 7s championship last season, while National Small College Rugby Organization’s 2015 Champions Cup champion New England College will face a stern test from day one in Pool A with top seed Central Washington University.
Perennial finalists of the 15s game University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, and University of Minnesota, Duluth, highlight the 16-team Men’s DII field. Whitewater finished second overall at University of Denver in 2015, and has narrowly lost out to the Fighting Penguins in the 15s Finals the past two years. Principia College also returns to the tournament for the third consecutive season, with its first in 2013 a Championship-winning campaign.
Eleven teams make up the three-pool Women’s DI competition, with Pennsylvania State University hoisting the College 7s crown at the two most recent events in Colorado and North Carolina. University of California, Davis, joins the Nittany Lions as a 2016 15s Champion in Cary – with runner-up University of Virginia also in attendance – while inaugural D1 Elite schools Central Washington University, Life University, Lindenwood University, and Stanford University will continue their quests for a Championship.
Davenport University leads a nine-team Women’s DII field as 15s Fall and National Champion. The Panthers’ Fall Championship Semifinal opponent, Bloomsburg University, is also ranked highly in the Division, while Ithaca College, Montana State University, and Rutgers University are back in the Championship hunt following premature exits from the most recent fall playoff campaign.
The Men’s DI and DII and Women’s DI competitions will be played across all three days of College 7s Memorial Day weekend, with the Women’s DII field kicking off Saturday, May 28. The seven-minute Cup Finals of all three divisions will be played Sunday, May 29.
Action from all three fields of College 7s will be broadcast live at no cost to viewers on The Rugby Channel, the newest online service offering exclusive live and on-demand coverage of top-tier domestic and international rugby matches. The full tournament schedule, pools, and ticketing information can be found on the USA Rugby College 7s website.
Men’s Division I Pools
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
|---|---|---|
| Central Washington University | Lindenwood University | Saint Mary’s College |
| New England College | California Polytechnic State University | University of Arkansas |
| Carolina Gamecocks | St. Bonaventure University | University of Alabama |
| Kennesaw State University | Fordham College | West Virginia University |
| Pool D | Pool E | Pool F |
| American International College | Davenport University | Arizona State University |
| San Diego State University | Texas A&M University | Notre Dame College |
| University of Oklahoma | University of Iowa | University of North Texas |
| Bowling Green State University | James Madison University | University of Wyoming |
Men’s Division II Pools
| Pool A | Pool B |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | University of Minnesota-Duluth |
| U.S. Coast Guard Academy | Principia College |
| University of North Carolina-Wilmington | Tulane University |
| University of Texas-San Antonio | Niagara University |
| Pool C | Pool D |
| Saint Louis University | Salisbury University |
| Lindenwood University-Belleville | The Citadel |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell | Salve Regina University |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Rowan University |
Women’s Division I Pools
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | Life University | Central Washington University |
| University of California-Davis | Stanford University | Lindenwood University |
| James Madison University | University of Virginia | Chico State University |
| Texas A&M University | University of North Carolina |
Women’s Division II Pools
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport University | Bloomsburg University | Rutgers University |
| Springfield College | Ithaca College | Montana State University |
| Utah State University | University of Texas-San Antonio | Texas State University |