RUGBY SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
In the United States,
Rugby is primarily a club sport played on college campuses. Players generally
pay their participation fees and the university may help the teams with access
to training and competition facilities and financial help to cover some
expenses. Given Rugby's status as a college club sport, there are currently no
full rugby scholarships available at universities or colleges in the United
States.
USA RUGBY is aware of a few American Universities that
currently give certain scholarships or stipends for Rugby players. These
include:
Arkansas State University -- Rugby has grown at Arkansas
State to the extent that the school is now able to offer partial scholarships
for men and women Rugby players. Qualifying Rugby players from out-of-state may
now attend Arkansas State for the in-state tuition rate. Contact Coach Joe
Barrett at 800.794.7022 (mention rugby).
Idaho State University
-- Idaho State offers out of state fee waivers. This means students pay only
in-state tution of $1800 instead of $5370 for out of state. For more
information interested parties can contact Ram Eddings, Coach, Idaho State
University, P.O. Box 8345, Pocatello, ID 83209;work 208-282-3242; home
208-232-6221; cell 208-244-1252; fax 208-282-4864; eddierans@isu.edu
New Mexico University - Entering freshman who are Under 19 All Stars (men and women) in
their region and hold high academic marks can qualify for an AMIGO Scholarship
which allows one to pay in-state tuition of $3,500 per year. This represents a
$7,000 savings over the out-of-state tuition rates.
Penn State
University -- There is a $1000 scholarship for high school players that come
to Penn State to play rugby. There is also admissions assistance available.
Contact Peter Steinberg - 410 BAB, University Park, PA 16802; 814-883-5732; pjs17@psu.edu. Team websites: www.clubs.psu.edu/up/mensrugby and www.clubs.psu.edu/up/womensrugby
Texas A&M
University - After 35 years of prestigious rugby and numerous National
Championships and playoff runs, this Division I Collegiate powerhouse now offers
partial scholarships for in-state and out-of-state rugby players. Qualifying
players from out-of-state may now attend Texas A&M for the in-state tuition
rate. Contact Texas A&M RFC Head Coach Craig Coates at (979) 571-2784 or Old
Maroon RFC President Cody Stringer at (512) 528-1211. For more info visit www.aggierugby.com.
Truman State University -- The Truman Alumni Award is given to
entering freshmen (1-3) that come to Truman with previous high school Rugby
experience and promise to be leaders on the team. Each award is up to $500 and
is paid in two installments - at the end of the fall and spring seasons. The
award is for the freshman year only. It is expected that the recipient(s) will
be contributing members of the team, attending practices and games. To find out
more information, please visit http://rugby.truman.edu/men
or http://rugby.truman.edu/men/PDF/AlumniAward-Application.PDF, or
Coach Bill Sexton, 1405 East Meadow Lane, Kirksville, MO 63501, 660-626-2324, rugby@truman.edu.
University of
Stony Brook - Partial scholarships are available for both Men's and Women's
teams; contact Frank Grieco via 516.458.6997 or 631.751.4605 or via email at fgrex17@optionline.net. For more
information, please visit the team website http://eteamz.com/blackwidowrugby
Additionally, there are
ways to earn collegiate credits and play Rugby at the same time. These
opportunities include:
Rugby Study Abroad (http://www.studyabroad-cis.com/rugby.html) - This program
provides opportunities for American students to spend one or two semesters
studying in Wellington, New Zealand and playing with a local
club.
Middle Tennessee State University -- MTSU offers the
following classes in Rugby:
PHED 131001 Beginning Rugby; PHED 131002
Intermediate Rugby
For further information, please contact Anthony Neely,
Adjunct Professor, PO Box 96, MTSU, Murfreesboro, TN 37132; phone 615-812-1754;
aneely@mtsu.edu
University of Illinois at Chicago - The University of Illinois at Chicago offers a full credit course
in Rugby Union football.