College Rugby - Promotion and Relegation

Promotion and Relegation

Division and conference placement is primarily based on a rugby club's success from the previous year. Each Local Area Union (LAU) has its own rules of governance, but in most cases, the team that wins its division or conference has the right to advance to the next highest division or conference. Conversely, the club with the least success that year might be relegated to competing in the next lowest division or conference. Because a move to a different division or conference would have an impact on travel arrangements, some college clubs might resist promotion or relegation for budgetary reasons.

Some winning clubs choose not to exercise this right to advance, instead preferring to stay in the lower club division, either because they are a very small college with a small rugby budget, or because they wish to remain competitive against lesser opponents. For example, Furman University (an NCAA Division I institution) is a perennial Division III rugby powerhouse, yet they have consistently declined promotion to Division II. Similarly, Plymouth State University declined promotion to D2 despite winning the 2008 D3 NSCRO National championship.

Other clubs are offered promotion, despite not winning their conference, based upon their strength of play. For example, Iowa State Men's Club was allowed to move up to D1 from D2 because they had performed so well in the 2006 Big 12 tournament, losing to fifth ranked Texas A&M in overtime after winning the competition 2 previously (while being the only D2 team competing). Southern Connecticut State University was moved from D3 to D2 despite losing to Salve Regina University 21-20 in the 2008 NERFU College Men's Division III Rugby Tournament. See also Promotion and relegation.