Collegiate Rugby Championship

The Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC), is a college rugby sevens tournament held every June at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia. The CRC is the highest profile college rugby sevens competition in the United States, with the tournament broadcast live on NBC every year. The CRC has capitalized on the surge in popularity of rugby following the 2009 announcement of the addition of rugby to the Summer Olympics.

Collegiate Rugby Championship
Current season, competition or edition:
2019 Collegiate Rugby Championship
SportRugby sevens
Founded2010
Inaugural season2010
CEOJon Prusmack
No. of teams24
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)		Lindenwood (2019) (2nd title)
Most titlesCalifornia (5 titles)
TV partner(s)ESPN
Official websiteusasevenscrc.com

The Collegiate Rugby Championship has succeeded in drawing media attention.[1] NBC recognized that rugby is growing in popularity, participation and interest,[2] and NBC's broadcast of the inaugural 2010 CRC was the first time college rugby had been broadcast live on network TV in the US.[3] NBC Sports Programming President, Jon Miller, described NBC's support of the Collegiate Rugby Championship, "We're hoping to see continued growth in the ratings and the attendance. We like the sport a lot, and we've given it a great time period and a real plumb position on our schedule."[4] The CRC has posted respectable TV ratings, with the TV audience for the CRC larger than that of the NCAA lacrosse championships.[5][6]

Due in part to the exposure from NBC's broadcasts, the tournament has attracted several blue chip corporate sponsors, including Geico, Subway, Toyota and Bud Light.[7] The CRC is popular with fans, with over 17,000 fans turning out to watch the 2011 tournament,[8] and over 18,000 fans in attendance at the 2012 tournament.[9] This was further increased by a twenty-two percent increase in attendance from 2014 to 2015 totaling 24,813 and an even further increase in 2016 to a total attendance of 27,224.[10][11] In September 2014, Penn Mutual life insurance company announced a multi-year title sponsorship of the annual championship, which is now titled the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship.[12]

The Collegiate Rugby Championship has sparked a mini revolution in college rugby, prompting scores of schools to begin offering a rugby sevens program.[13] One of the schools that has benefited from the publicity generated by the CRC tournament has been the University of Texas. Following Texas' participation in the CRC, Texas "raised an additional $10,000 from alumni, landed a new apparel sponsor, and have been contacted by 90 students (including two DBs from the football team) who want to play rugby."[14] The CRC has also given a boost of exposure to lesser known schools with strong rugby programs. For example, when Life University went undefeated in pool play and reached the semifinals of the June 2–3 2012 CRC, Life University's Wikipedia page was viewed by 9,800 people that weekend.[15]

Format and qualifying

The first day of the two-day tournament features 20 teams divided into 5 pools of 4 teams, with the top team in each group advancing to the quarterfinals, along with the three best second-placed teams. The second day of the tournament is knockout play, featuring the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.

The majority of the participating teams are invited to the tournament based on the quality of the school's rugby program and on the school's fan appeal. Certain teams also qualify by winning the Southeastern Rugby Conference, the Las Vegas Invitational, and the new Heart of America Tournament.

History

The inaugural 2010 Collegiate Rugby Championship, at the time known as the Collegiate Championship Invitational (CCI), was held in Columbus, Ohio, at the Columbus Crew Stadium. Utah defeated Cal 31–26 in overtime in a thrilling final. Bowling Green's Rocco Mauer led the tournament with 11 tries and was named tournament MVP by Rugby Mag.[16]

The 2011 Collegiate Rugby Championship moved to PPL Park in Philadelphia, PA. NBC increased their coverage over the previous year, devoting 14 hours of coverage to the tournament.[17] California and Arizona were favored after cruising to victories in the first day of pool play, but both were knocked out in quarterfinal upsets. Dartmouth beat Army 32–10 in the final.

Because of the strong support that the tournament has received from Philadelphia fans and its new title sponsorship of the Horsham, PA based Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, the CRC will remain in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.[18]

Past Results

Men
Year Venue Final Bronze
Winner Score Runner-up Winner Score Runner-up
2010 Columbus Crew Stadium,
Columbus, OH		 Utah 31–26 California Arizona
San Diego State		 N/A N/A
2011 PPL Park,
Chester, PA		 Dartmouth 32–10 Army Utah 12–10 Central Washington
2012 PPL Park,
Chester, PA		 Dartmouth 24–5 Arizona California 26–7 Life University
2013 PPL Park,
Chester, PA		 California 19–17 Life University Navy
UCLA		 N/A N/A
2014 PPL Park,
Chester, PA		 California 24–21 Kutztown Life University
UCLA		 N/A N/A
2015 PPL Park,
Chester, PA		 California 17–12 Kutztown Life University
Arizona		 N/A N/A
2016 Talen Energy Stadium,
Chester, PA		 California 31–7 UCLA Kutztown
Arizona		 N/A N/A
2017 Talen Energy Stadium,
Chester, PA		 California 19–0 Life University Lindenwood
Indiana		 N/A N/A
2018 Talen Energy Stadium,
Chester, PA		 Lindenwood 24–7 UCLA Life University
Arizona		 N/A N/A
2019 Talen Energy Stadium,
Chester, PA		 Lindenwood 21–12 Life University Navy
Kutztown		 N/A N/A
  • No third place match was played in 2010, 2013 and later years.

Women

Results by team
Team Conf/Div Champion Runner-up Semifinalist Quarterfinalist
California PAC 5 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) 1 (2010) 1 (2012) 1 (2011)
Dartmouth Ivy 2 (2011, 2012) 0 4 (2010, 2013, 2014, 2015) 3 (2010, 2013, 2014)
Lindenwood Mid-South 2 (2018, 2019) 0 1 (2017)
Utah PAC 1 (2010) 0 1 (2011) 0
Life University Div 1-A 0 3 (2013, 2017, 2019) 4 (2012, 2015, 2015, 2018) 0
UCLA PAC 0 2 (2016, 2018) 2 (2013, 2014) 0
Kutztown Div 1-A 0 2 (2014, 2015) 2 (2016, 2019) 1 (2013)
Arizona PAC 0 1 (2012) 4 (2010, 2015, 2016, 2018) 2 (2011, 2013)
Army Div 1-A 0 1 (2011) 0 0
Navy Atlantic Coast 0 0 2 (2013, 2019) 4 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2015)
Central Washington Independent 0 0 1 (2011) 0
San Diego State Div 1-A 0 0 1 (2010) 0
Penn State Div 1-A 0 0 0 3 (2011, 2013, 2014)
Arkansas State MSC 0 0 0 2 (2015, 2016)
Michigan Big Ten 0 0 0 2 (2014, 2015)

Popularity
YearTV Viewership &
Ratings (Channel)		Stadium Attendance
2010????
20110.6 (NBC)[21]17,894[22]
2012?18,149[23]
2013?19,275[24]
2014427,000 (NBC)[25]17,079
201524,813[26]
201627,224[27]
2017
2018(ESPNews)
2019(ESPNews)

Rivalries

Despite the fact that the CRC tournament has only been around since 2010, the tournament has seen some notable rivalries:

  • Army v. Navy[28] – these Service Academy rivals met four times from 2010–16 and 2019, with Navy leading 3–2.
  • Texas v. Oklahoma – these Big 12 rivals met in 2011 & 2012, with Texas winning both encounters.
  • Cal v. Utah – these Pac-12 rivals met in the knockout rounds of the 2010 & 2011 tournaments, with the underdog Utah upsetting the favored Cal both times.

Notable Past Players and Coaches

The Collegiate Rugby Championship has been notable for its ability to showcase the emerging stars of US rugby.[29][30] In 2012, representatives from all 12 clubs in the English Premiership (the top professional league in England) attended the CRC, where the Premiership coaches scouted talent from the 16 university teams competing.[31]

The following athletes who have starred in the CRC and made the All Tournament Team have gone on to play for the United States national rugby team in international competitions:

Player NameCRC All TournamentCollege
Rocco Mauer2010Bowling Green
Colin Hawley2010California
Thretton Palamo2010Utah
Nate Ebner2010, 2011Ohio State
Will Holder2010, 2011Army
Blaine Scully2010, 2011California
Tim Stanfill2011Cent. Washington
Ben Leatigaga2011Army
Peter Tiberio2011, 2012Arizona
Nate Brakeley2011, 2012Dartmouth
Brett Thompson2012, 2013Arizona
Cam Dolan2012, 2013Life University
Seamus Kelly2010, 2013, 2014California
Madison Hughes2012, 2013, 2014Dartmouth
Danny Barrett2013California
Jake Anderson2013California
Niku Kruger2015Kutztown
Cody Melphy2016, 2017Life University

Alex Magleby, who became head coach of the United States national rugby sevens team in 2012, was previously head coach of Dartmouth, the team he coached to victory at the 2011 Collegiate Rugby Championship and 2012 Collegiate Rugby Championship.

Leading players
YearMost triesMost pointsMVP
2010Rocco Mauer (Bowling Green) (11)Rocco Mauer (Bowling Green) (55)Rocco Mauer (Bowling Green)
2011Peter Tiberio (Arizona) (8)Peter Tiberio (Arizona) (54)Chris & Nick Downer (Dartmouth)
2012Trevor Tanifum (Maryland) (10)Derek Fish (Dartmouth) (60)Madison Hughes (Dartmouth)
2013Joe Cowley (Life Univ) (9)Joe Cowley (Life Univ) (81)Seamus Kelly (California)
2014
2015Jake Anderson (California)[32]
2016Niall Barry (UCLA) (6)Cian Barry (UCLA) (35)Jesse Milne (California)[33]
2017Sam Cusano (California)[34]
2018Ben Broselle (UCLA)

Notes:

  • Tournament MVP as selected by Rugby Mag / Rugby Today.

See also

References
  1. "7s tournament points to resurgence of invitationals", Gainline.us, Nov. 11, 2011.
  2. Bleacher Report, NBC to Broadcast Collegiate Sevens Rugby Championship, March 6, 2010, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/358141-nbc-to-broadcast-collegiate-sevens-championship
  3. Bleacher Report, Rugby: NBC's Collegiate Sevens Championship Preview, June 3, 2010, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/400735-rugby-nbcs-collegiate-sevens-championship-preview
  4. Rugby Mag, Fans Can Make Rugby Work on TV - NBC, May 1, 2012, http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4390:fans-can-make-rugby-work-on-tv-nbc&catid=149:usa7s-crc&Itemid=392 Archived 2012-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Varsity Cup, USA 7s parent, NBC in landmark pact", Gainline, June 21, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  6. "College Rugby Shines Under TV Spotlight Created by 2016 Olympics", Bloomberg, Mason Levinson, May 28, 2015.
  7. PRNewswire, Utah Utes Win Inaugural USA 7's Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational on NBC, June 6, 2010, http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/utah-utes-win-inaugural-usa-7s-rugby-collegiate-championship-invitational-on-nbc-95741209.html
  8. Philly.com, "Big turnout for Rugby Sevens tournament at PPL Park," June 6, 2011, http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/123210403.html.
  9. "PPL Park to host college rugby championship through 2014", The Times Herald, June 3, 2012.
  10. "This Is American Rugby: Cal Claims Fourth Straight CRC". www.thisisamericanrugby.com. Retrieved 2016-06-06.
  11. "This Is American Rugby: The CRC: Better Than Ever". www.thisisamericanrugby.com. Retrieved 2016-06-05.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. Gainline.us, 7s tournament points to resurgence of invitationals, Nov. 11, 2011, http://www.gainline.us/gainline/2011/11/7s-tournament-points-to-resurgence-of-invitationals.html
  14. Rugby Mag, 15 Teams Invited to 2012 CRC, Nov. 3, 2011, http://rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2555:15-teams-invited-to-2012-crc&catid=73:collegiate-sevens&Itemid=91 Archived 2011-11-06 at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2012-06-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. Bleacher Report, College Rugby: Utah Upsets Cal To Win Sevens Title, June 7, 2010, http://bleacherreport.com/articles/402408-college-rugby-utah-upsets-cal-to-win-sevens-championship
  17. Philly.com, Rugby sevens championships to get plenty of TV exposure, June 2, 2011, http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-02/sports/29613371_1_usa-rugby-usa-sevens-international-rugby-board
  18. Rugby Mag, CRC to Return to PPL Park in 2012, June 5, 2011, http://www.rugbymag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1151:crc-to-return-to-ppl-park-in-2012&catid=73:collegiate-sevens&Itemid=91
  19. "Army Inaugural Women 7s Champions". Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2015-06-23.
  20. Finlan, Jackie (3 June 2013). "PSU Women, CRC 7s' Best". Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  21. We Are Rugby, College Sevens TV Ratings, June 17, 2011, http://www.wearerugby.com/news/articles/college-sevens-tv-ratings
  22. "Big turnout for Rugby Sevens tournament at PPL Park" http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/123210403.html.
  23. The Times Herald, PPL Park to host college rugby championship through 2014, June 3, 2012, http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120603/SPORTS02/120609886/source-ppl-park-to-host-college-rugby-championship-through-2014
  24. RugbyMag, CRC Crowd Up from 2012, June 2, 2013, http://www.rugbymag.com/tournaments-special/crc/8280-crc-crowd-up-from-2012.html Archived 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine
  25. "College Rugby Shines Under TV Spotlight Created by 2016 Olympics", Bloomberg, Mason Levinson, May 28, 2015.
  26. "CRC Attendance Record Shattered", Rugby Today, May 31, 2015.
  27. "This Is American Rugby: Cal Claims Fourth Straight CRC". www.thisisamericanrugby.com. Retrieved 2016-06-06.
  28. Philadelphia Daily News, Army-Navy rivalry resumes in rugby tournament at PPL Park, June 1, 2012, http://articles.philly.com/2012-06-01/sports/31960206_1_army-navy-rivalry-midshipmen-football-ppl-park
  29. "Tanifum Steals the Show at CRC" Archived 2012-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, Rugby Mag, June 6, 2012.
  30. "Cal favored to make history at Collegiate Rugby Championship", NBC OlympicTalk, Nick Zaccardi, May 28, 2015. ("Based on the track record, you have to look at this tournament if you’re going to pluck some American players off the sevens pitch and put them in the national team pipeline . . . “There’s no better place than here.")
  31. "Aviva Premiership Clubs to be at CRC", April 30, 2012.
  32. "Cal Tops Kutztown in Overtime For CRC Title", Rugby Today, May 31, 2015
  33. "Points, Try Scoring Leaders at CRC", Rugby Today, Brett Anker, June 5, 2016.
  34. http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2017/6/4/15737612/champs-x5-cal-rugby-wins-5th-straight-crc-7s-national-title
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