The Mid-Atlantic Rugby Conference is pleased to announce their commitment to the ACRA Women’s Division II competition beginning Fall 2020.  The MARC Conference was created in 2012 The Mid Atlantic Rugby Conference—operates as a regional Collegiate competitive organization in conjunction with USA Rugby. MARC administers over 50 Collegiate and University rugby programs, and 2,000 student athletes, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware. The MARC mission is to administer and promote competitive rugby, player and coach development, player safety, and community service.

When asked about MARC’s commitment to ACRA Women’s Coordinator Samantha Hoegle said. “ACRA’s sole dedication to women’s rugby made them a great choice for the MARC. The level of competition will be very high with perennial national competitors and cost will be low, both of which were important factors for teams during this tumultuous time of USA Rugby reorganizations and COVID-19”

ACRA was formed about seven years ago and operated women's collegiate rugby in the Northeast, working hard to produce a fall-centric competitive cycle. Once USA Rugby developed a fall playoff for women's D2 college, and ACRA went dormant, but with the massive changes in who is running the college game, ACRA is back. The MARC joins Tri-State Conference and the New England Wide Collegiate Rugby Conference in the ACRA.

The MARC now serves ten women DII programs including newly added Salisbury University. Salisbury joins Bloomsburg University, Temple University, Saint Joseph University, The College of New Jersey, Rowan University, Kutztown University, Drexel University, University of Delaware, and the University of Pennsylvania.

The James Madison Men’s Rugby Club will be joining the Mid Atlantic Rugby Conference starting in the Fall of 2020. James Madison will compete in Division DIAA of the MARC joining Salisbury as MARC newest members. MARC’s DIAA Division includes West Chester University, Temple University, Saint Joseph University, Rowan University, Towson University, University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Delaware. “We are excited to have JMU join our DIAA Men’s Division. Our Conference continues to expand and the competition will continue to improve with additions like JMU and Salisbury” Said John Gulden MARC President.

Founded in 1908, James Madison University is a public university located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. JMU is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading lights in higher education because students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty who are here because they want to pursue knowledge and make teaching their No. 1 priority. James Madison Rugby Club is the men’s rugby team of James Madison University located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The James Madison rugby team was founded in 1976, formerly known as Madison Rugby Football Club. After winning the Division 2 sevens National Championship, the team moved up to D1AA to compete in the Chesapeake Rugby Conference. The club has been competing in this conference since the 2016 season. “We got 11 returning starters ready to play for 80 minutes like they’re hungry for 90. It’s a bad year to see the dukes on the schedule, believe that.” - Cal Reeves, Captain of JMURFC

To learn more about the Salisbury University Men’s Rugby, Click Here.

To learn more about the Salisbury University Men’s Rugby, Click Here.