Army West Point Athletics
Women's Rugby Set to Host 2026 NIRA Divisional Championships
October 09, 2026 | Women's Rugby
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The iconic Anderson Rugby Complex on the grounds of the United States Military Academy will once again host the Divisional Championships for NCAA Women's Rugby, as the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) today announced the 2026 season finale will return to West Point. Competition is scheduled for November 21-22 with live match coverage on Army Athletics YouTube. Tickets are also available with youth fans and College Students receiving free admission.
The event will again host two championship matches featuring finalists from NIRA Division I and combined Division II & III competing for annual honors, while simultaneously celebrating the culmination of another competitive season for NCAA Women's Rugby. Harvard will look to return as reigning champions in Division I, currently riding a 4-0 record on the season towards the postseason. With 2025 Division II & III champion American International College (AIC) now competing in the top division, the bracket opens up for a new champion to lift the trophy.
NIRA Executive Director, Amy Rusert said on the championships now entering its 11th year, "We're incredibly grateful to our member institutions that host our Divisional Championships year-over-year with excellence. Producing our 2026 culminating event at Army West Point's Anderson Rugby Complex alongside their wonderful staff will, once again, be a superlative showcase for some of the best varsity programs in the NCAA Emerging Sports Program."
Army West Point Associate AD Recruiting and Admissions, Tom Tolman "Army West Point is proud to welcome the nation's top collegiate rugby teams and their fans to the world-class Anderson Rugby Complex on the banks of the Hudson River. We look forward to showcasing the very best of collegiate women's rugby at West Point.
"We are proud to partner with NIRA in strengthening collegiate women's rugby and helping the sport reach its full potential at the NCAA level."
This year's championships will also feature a D1 Bowl game, where soon-to-be-confirmed teams will compete in an exhibition match alongside the championships, providing additional match play for teams not competing in the final and bonus rugby for visiting fans.
With regular season action already underway, championship semifinals will be played November 14th between top seeded programs, with the higher seed hosting.
Representing Rugby as an NCAA® Emerging Sports™ for Women Program, NIRA spotlights the growth potential for Women's Rugby in the US where the overarching goal is to help support the development of women's rugby nationally and attain NCAA Championship status. Schools and programs within NIRA have also been high-powered pathways for USA Rugby National Team players, with a large percentage of both fifteens and sevens Eagles coming up through the college game. This year's championship in West Point will again bring high caliber rugby and a preview of the next generation of USA Women's Eagles, Olympians and student-athletes alike.
The NCAA® Emerging Sports™ for Women Program, intended to help schools provide more athletics opportunities for women and more sport-sponsorship options for schools, while helping that sport achieve NCAA championship status. The NCAA Emerging Sports Program was established in 1994 based on a recommendation from the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force. Since then, six sports have become championship sports (beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo, bowling and women's wrestling) through the program.
Once in the NCAA Emerging Sports Program, a sport must have more than 40 schools sponsor it at the varsity level and meet minimum contest and participant requirements to receive a recommendation to become an NCAA championship sport. If legislation is adopted in each division, the NCAA establishes a championship.
