DIAA College Rugby News
Multiple sources seem to confirm that the Atlantic Coast Rugby League (ACRL) will not continue as a Men's DI College 15s competition in 2016.
The league, which included teams from NCAA's ACC, has struggled to maintain competitiveness as the top teams, noitably Clemson, have outstripped the others. Occasional forfeits also hampered what was already a relatively short season.
The East Coast Rugby Conference named it's all-conference team plus several other awards this week.
College rugby in California and Arizona is moving slowly but it is moving, as several teams have enjoyed pre-season run-outs this fall.
On Saturday, Arizona State put in an impressive performance in beating Grand Canyon University 50-8. Ryan Spiwak scored three tries in a game where the Sun Devils looked in good form for so early in the season.
The 2015 SCRC All Conference awards for the fall 15s season have been announced. This year’s competition saw much improvement over the course of the season with some teams taking major steps forward in their performance. Overall the level of play was much improved and it showed in competitive matches from top to bottom.
I have been fortunate to work on a few webcasts recently as a play-by-play or color commentator (actually, I did 16 games in the space of ten days but who’s counting?), and I have some opinions that have sprung up from those experiences.