USA Rugby is the national governing body for rugby in the United States — but it does not directly run every league, club, college competition or professional team. Here's how the different parts of American rugby actually fit together.
USA Rugby is the national governing body for rugby in the United States. It represents American rugby within the international game and oversees national governance, national teams and other responsibilities within the U.S. rugby system.
But USA Rugby does not directly operate every rugby competition in the country. Youth and high school rugby, college rugby, Senior Club Rugby and professional rugby involve different organizations and administrative structures.
The easiest way to understand American rugby is to separate national governance from competition administration. USA Rugby sits within the international rugby system, while different organizations administer different parts of the domestic game.
USA Rugby is the national governing body, but leagues, conferences, councils, unions and other organizations can administer competitions within the wider American rugby system.
USA Rugby is the national governing body for rugby in the United States. It represents American rugby within the national and international sports system, oversees the country's national-team programs and provides governance across the wider U.S. rugby structure.
Founded in 1975, USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby in America. It is also a Full Sport Member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Internationally, USA Rugby is a Full Member of World Rugby. World Rugby lists the USA Rugby Football Union within the Rugby Americas North regional association.
USA Rugby's role extends beyond organizing matches. The organization says it is charged with developing the game across all levels and currently oversees four national teams, multiple Junior National Teams and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes.
At the same time, USA Rugby does not directly administer every league or competition played in the United States. Responsibilities across youth, college and senior club rugby are distributed through dedicated governance and competition structures.
USA Rugby combines national-team responsibilities with governance, development and representation of the American game. Some responsibilities are handled by the national office, while others are distributed through National Councils and other organizations within the U.S. rugby structure.
USA Rugby oversees the United States national-team programs, including four national teams, multiple Junior National Teams and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes.
USA Rugby's governance structure includes its Board of Directors, National Councils, standing committees and professional staff. The National Councils represent Youth & High School, Collegiate, Senior Club and International Athlete sectors.
Youth & High School, Collegiate and Senior Club rugby have dedicated National Councils within USA Rugby's governance structure, with responsibilities for competition, member dues and development assigned to those sectors through agreements with the national office.
As a Full Member of World Rugby, USA Rugby represents the United States within rugby's international system. The United States is also part of Rugby Americas North, the regional association for North America and the Caribbean.
USA Rugby's position as the national governing body does not mean the national office directly operates every rugby league or competition in the United States.
USA Rugby's current governance model distributes responsibilities across different parts of the game. Its National Councils cover Youth & High School, Collegiate, Senior Club and International Athlete rugby, with the community councils carrying responsibilities for competition, member dues and development within their respective sectors.
Professional rugby also has its own competition operators, which we explain later in this guide. That distinction between national governance and competition administration is essential to understanding how American rugby works.
USA Rugby is governed through a 12-member Board of Directors, National Councils representing different parts of the rugby community and a professional staff headed by a CEO. Together, these parts provide national oversight, membership representation and day-to-day administration.
USA Rugby's current governance structure includes a 12-member Board of Directors.
The Board provides organizational oversight and contributes to strategic decisions affecting USA Rugby's governance, organizational priorities and the development and promotion of rugby domestically and internationally.
USA Rugby's National Councils represent major sectors of the rugby community and give different parts of the game a formal place within the national governance structure.
The four sectors are Youth & High School, Collegiate, Senior Club and International Athlete.
USA Rugby's governance structure also includes a professional staff headed by a Chief Executive Officer.
The professional staff handles the organization's administrative and operational work alongside the governance roles performed by the Board and National Councils.
USA Rugby's current National Council structure emerged from governance changes adopted in 2020, when the former USA Rugby Congress was replaced by councils representing different sectors of the American game.
Represents the youth and high school sector within USA Rugby's National Council structure.
Represents the collegiate sector within USA Rugby's National Council structure.
Represents the senior club sector within USA Rugby's National Council structure.
Serves as USA Rugby's Athlete Advisory Council, representing the voice and interests of USA Rugby athletes within the organization's governance structure.
The three community councils — Youth & High School, Collegiate and Senior Club — represent their respective levels of American rugby.
USA Rugby states that, through Community Service Agreements with the National Office, its National Councils have responsibilities covering competition, member dues and development for their respective levels of play.
This decentralized structure is an important reason USA Rugby can serve as the national governing body without its national office directly administering every domestic rugby competition.
The International Athlete Council serves a different role from the community councils. USA Rugby describes it as the organization's Athlete Advisory Council and the representative group and voice of USA Rugby athletes.
The council works to broaden communication between USA Rugby and active athletes, provides athlete opinion and advice to the Board of Directors and helps ensure athlete representation within USA Rugby governance.
USA Rugby's bylaws identify six standing committees supporting specific areas of governance, oversight, discipline, officiating and player welfare.
Together, the Board, National Councils and professional staff form the core of USA Rugby's national governance structure, while standing committees provide additional oversight and expertise in specific areas.
Senior Club Rugby encompasses non-collegiate adult club rugby in the United States. It is governed through the USA Rugby Senior Club Council and Geographic Unions, with clubs competing within regional structures and eligible teams able to pursue applicable championship pathways.
USA Rugby defines Senior Club Rugby as all non-collegiate adult club rugby in the United States.
This is the community-based adult club game, distinct from college rugby and professional competition. Senior clubs can participate in 15-a-side and seven-a-side rugby within the applicable competition structures.
USA Rugby requires Senior Club clubs and teams to be affiliated with and in good standing with their appropriate geographic governing Union. Clubs must also comply with applicable USA Rugby eligibility requirements and regulations established by their governing Union.
Geographic Unions, commonly called GUs, are regional governing organizations within Senior Club Rugby. USA Rugby says GU boundaries are based on a combination of club density and natural geographic boundaries.
Geographic Unions provide a regional layer of organization between the national Senior Club structure and clubs within their geographic areas.
A Geographic Union may cover a single state, multiple states or portions of a large state, depending on club density and geography.
Senior Club teams must be affiliated with and in good standing with the appropriate geographic governing Union.
Geographic Unions provide the main geographic structure for Senior Club Rugby, but additional organizations can exist within regional systems.
For example, USA Rugby's current Senior Club contacts identify Local Area Unions within the Midwest Rugby Union. That means the exact administrative path between a club and its Geographic Union can vary by region.
American Senior Club Rugby does not operate as one single nationwide regular-season league. Competition is organized through the relevant rugby communities and regional structures, and the exact format can differ between competitions and regions.
A club must meet the applicable registration and compliance requirements and be affiliated with its appropriate geographic governing Union.
Eligible clubs participate in competitions organized within the structures that apply to their region, division or format.
Eligible clubs may advance through the applicable competition and qualification pathway toward postseason and national championship competition.
USA Rugby identifies major Senior Club championship competition in both 15-a-side and seven-a-side rugby.
Fifteen-a-side rugby is one of the two major Senior Club formats identified by USA Rugby, with competition and eligibility governed by the applicable Senior Club regulations and structures.
Senior clubs can also compete in seven-a-side rugby. Club Sevens has its own competition and eligibility requirements and a major championship pathway.
USA Rugby currently lists minimum registration conditions that a Senior Club must meet in order to practice and/or compete in rugby-related competition.
USA Rugby states that Senior Club eligibility information is regularly updated, so clubs should check the current regulations before each competitive season.
Senior Club Rugby is the non-collegiate adult community club game governed through the USA Rugby Senior Club structure.
Professional rugby competitions operate separately from the USA Rugby Senior Club competition structure.
USA Rugby provides the national framework for Senior Club Rugby, while the Senior Club Council, Geographic Unions and other regional structures share responsibilities across the community game.
Clubs compete within the structure that applies to their region and competition, and eligible teams may progress through applicable pathways toward major national championship competition.
Youth and high school rugby has its own national, state and local structures within the wider American rugby system. USA Youth & High School Rugby works with State Youth Rugby Organizations, schools, clubs and other programs to support rugby for young players across the country.
USA Youth & High School Rugby is the national organization focused on the youth and high school sector of American rugby.
It works with State Youth Rugby Organizations and local programs to support participation, administration, player welfare and development across youth and high school rugby.
Its current network includes 47 State Youth Rugby Organizations, commonly called SYROs.
This sector is distinct from college rugby and Senior Club Rugby, although players may move into those environments as they get older.
State Youth Rugby Organizations, or SYROs, provide the state-level structure connecting local youth and high school programs with the wider national system.
USA Youth & High School Rugby groups the country into regional divisions to help players, clubs and schools locate the appropriate SYRO.
SYROs provide an organizational layer for youth and high school rugby within their respective areas.
Clubs, teams and school programs operate within the rules and structures that apply to their SYRO and national membership.
Youth rugby does not operate as one identical nationwide league. Competition formats can differ between states, regions and programs.
Both. Young players can encounter rugby through school-based teams, community clubs and other local programs.
Community programs can bring together players from multiple schools or local areas and compete within the applicable youth rugby structure.
Some schools sponsor rugby teams directly, while others may have rugby programs operating alongside traditional school athletics.
USA Youth & High School Rugby and USA Rugby operate a Varsity Initiative for schools that have adopted rugby as a school-sponsored sport.
The membership tier is designed to make it easier for rugby teams to operate within school athletic departments and compete alongside traditional rugby club programs.
To qualify, a team must be a compliant member of a registered State Youth Rugby Organization and satisfy the program's current application, registration and participation requirements.
Varsity Initiative membership does not itself include insurance coverage. Participating schools must provide the insurance coverage required by the program.
T1 Rugby is one way young players can be introduced to rugby. It provides a lower-barrier format that can be used in schools, clubs and introductory rugby environments.
T1 sits alongside the wider youth and high school rugby system. It is not a mandatory first step that every player must complete before progressing into other forms of rugby.
RFC has a separate guide explaining the format in depth.
Read: What Is T1 Rugby?There is no single mandatory pathway. Players can move into different rugby environments depending on their age, ability, location and goals.
Those opportunities can include college rugby, Senior Club Rugby, elite development programs and USA Rugby high-performance pathways.
USA Rugby maintains specific eligibility and player welfare rules for youth participation.
High school teams, high school all-star teams and teams made up of high-school or under-18 players are not permitted to play contact rugby against college or adult teams under USA Rugby's youth eligibility rules.
USA Rugby separately provides a waiver process for certain individual 17-year-old players seeking permission to participate in collegiate or adult contact rugby, subject to the current safety and eligibility requirements.
Because youth eligibility rules can be detailed and can change, players, parents, coaches and clubs should always consult the current USA Rugby and USA Youth & High School Rugby regulations.
USA Rugby provides the wider national governing framework, while USA Youth & High School Rugby and State Youth Rugby Organizations provide important structures for the youth and high school game.
Local rugby can be delivered through community clubs, schools and other programs, and the exact competition model can vary around the country.
T1 Rugby is one possible introduction to the sport, while older players can eventually pursue college, club, elite or USA Rugby pathway opportunities without following one mandatory route.
College rugby sits within the wider USA Rugby governance system, but American collegiate rugby is not operated as one single national league. USA Rugby has a Collegiate National Council, while competition organizations, conferences and commissioners administer important parts of the collegiate game.
Understanding American college rugby becomes much easier once these two functions are separated.
There is no single national collegiate rugby league containing every American college team.
USA Rugby maintains a collegiate governance structure, but teams can participate in different divisions, conferences and competition organizations.
As a result, the organization responsible for a team's schedule, eligibility rules or championship pathway can depend on the competition in which that team participates.
The Collegiate National Council represents the collegiate sector within USA Rugby's National Council governance structure.
USA Rugby created National Councils across different rugby communities following governance changes in 2020. Those councils have responsibilities within their respective levels of the game.
Different organizations administer significant parts of American collegiate rugby. Two important organizations identified by USA Rugby are CRAA and NIRA.
CRAA administers major men's and women's collegiate rugby competitions.
USA Rugby currently identifies CRAA divisions including Men's D1A, Women's D1 Elite, Women's D1 and Women's D2.
NIRA brings together institutions competing in intercollegiate women's rugby within the NCAA environment.
It organizes and promotes women's collegiate rugby and holds the annual NIRA National Championship.
The Collegiate National Council is part of USA Rugby's governance structure.
CRAA and NIRA perform competition and organizational roles within the collegiate rugby ecosystem.
These organizations can also collaborate. For example, USA Rugby, CRAA and NIRA partnered on the 2026 women's collegiate sevens national championship.
Conferences provide another important layer of collegiate competition and administration.
USA Rugby maintains a current list of collegiate conference commissioners across men's and women's rugby.
Conferences can provide competition structures for teams within particular divisions or geographic areas.
Conference commissioners serve as important contacts for clubs participating within their competitions.
Players must meet the eligibility requirements of the competition in which their club participates.
Eligibility depends on the competition in which the player's college club participates.
USA Rugby directs college clubs to their conference commissioner for the eligibility guidelines applying to their division.
USA Rugby's college eligibility resources also direct participants to CRAA and NIRA for applicable competition information.
Their divisions, conferences, competition organizers, eligibility requirements and championship pathways may not be identical.
That is why simply asking "Who runs college rugby?" does not always produce one answer.
This section explains where college rugby fits within the USA Rugby system. RFC's full college rugby guide goes deeper into the organizations, divisions and championship structures across the American collegiate game.
Read: How Does College Rugby Work in the United States?USA Rugby has a Collegiate National Council representing the collegiate sector within its governance structure.
Competition administration is distributed across organizations including CRAA and NIRA, along with collegiate conferences and commissioners.
To understand where a particular college team fits, you need to know its division, competition organization and conference.
Professional rugby in the United States is not simply the highest division of USA Club Rugby. USA Rugby is the national governing body, while separate professional leagues operate men's and women's professional XVs competitions.
Major League Rugby operates professional men's XVs rugby, while Women's Elite Rugby operates professional women's XVs rugby. These leagues are distinct from USA Rugby's community Senior Club Rugby structure.
Provides national governance, represents the United States internationally and operates USA national-team programs and high-performance pathways.
Major League Rugby, commonly called MLR, operates professional men's XVs rugby competition in the United States.
Women's Elite Rugby, commonly called WER, is the first professional women's rugby league in the United States.
There is not one USA Rugby professional league containing every professional team.
Professional competition is operated through separate league structures.
Major League Rugby provides the professional men's XVs competition, while Women's Elite Rugby provides the professional women's XVs competition.
USA Rugby remains the national governing body and can work with professional leagues on areas where the professional and national games overlap.
Major League Rugby is the professional men's XVs competition in the United States.
MLR began competition in 2018 and provides a professional club environment for players competing in North America.
MLR is separate from the USA Senior Club Rugby system. A Senior Club Rugby team does not earn promotion into MLR by winning its community competition.
Women's Elite Rugby is the first professional women's rugby league in the United States.
WER was founded in 2024 and played its inaugural professional season in 2025.
The league grew from the foundation created by the Women's Premier League, which had served as a leading women's club competition in the United States before WER's launch.
WER and USA Rugby also formalized a sanctioning agreement ahead of WER's inaugural season, establishing a formal relationship between the professional women's league and the national governing body.
No. The American system does not operate as one promotion-and-relegation pyramid connecting community club rugby directly to MLR or WER.
Community clubs compete within the USA Club Rugby structure and its applicable geographic and championship systems.
Professional teams participate within their respective league structures rather than through promotion from USA Senior Club Rugby.
Separate organizations can still work together. USA Rugby and professional leagues have formal and practical relationships where national-team, professional and player-development interests overlap.
Professional competition gives eligible American players an environment in which to train and compete, while USA Rugby operates national-team and high-performance programs.
Professional players can be selected for USA national teams when they meet international eligibility requirements and are selected by the applicable national-team program.
USA Rugby and professional organizations can coordinate in areas such as player development, performance standards and preparation for international rugby.
Professional competition also creates opportunities for officials progressing through the wider American referee-development system.
USA Rugby and Major League Rugby established a Professional Game Advisory Board as a framework for collaboration between the national governing body and the men's professional league.
The initiative has focused on areas including player development, player experience and opportunities for USA-qualified players.
USA Rugby and Women's Elite Rugby formalized a sanctioning agreement ahead of WER's inaugural professional season.
The agreement established formal alignment between the women's professional competition and the national governing body while WER continues to operate its own professional league.
No. Playing in MLR or WER does not automatically make a player a United States international.
National-team selection is handled through USA Rugby's high-performance programs, and players must satisfy the applicable international eligibility rules.
The Eagles can also select eligible players competing outside the domestic professional leagues, including Americans playing professionally overseas.
MLR and WER operate professional competitions.
USA Rugby serves as the national governing body and operates United States national-team programs.
Their responsibilities can overlap through collaboration, sanctioning, player development and high-performance programs without making them the same organization.
Major League Rugby provides professional men's XVs competition, while Women's Elite Rugby provides professional women's XVs competition.
Neither league is simply the top division of the USA Senior Club Rugby pyramid.
USA Rugby and the professional leagues can work together on national-team, player-development and high-performance priorities while remaining separate organizations.
USA Rugby oversees the United States national-team programs and the high-performance pathways used to identify and develop future international players. Players can be identified from many different rugby environments, including youth, college, Senior Club, professional and overseas rugby.
USA Rugby's pathway is better understood as a network of identification and development opportunities rather than one fixed ladder every player must follow.
USA Rugby is responsible for United States national-team programs and the high-performance structures supporting them.
A player's club, college or professional team provides a competitive environment, while USA Rugby manages national-team identification, development and selection.
Players must also satisfy the applicable international eligibility requirements before representing the United States.
Future Eagles can develop in several different rugby environments. These are not formal mandatory feeder channels, and a player does not have to pass through every one.
Young players can build experience through school, community and age-grade rugby programs.
Collegiate rugby provides another environment where players can compete, develop and be identified.
Adult community rugby can provide continued playing and development opportunities for eligible athletes.
Professional leagues provide high-level domestic competition for players who may also be eligible for national-team selection.
Eligible players competing outside the United States can also be identified and selected for USA Rugby programs.
USA Rugby describes its High Performance Pathway as a nationwide program designed to identify and develop future USA Eagles talent.
Identification can come through scouting, player nominations, designated tournaments, Talent ID Days, Regional Development Days and other pathway activity.
Players can be identified through scouting, nominations, pathway forms and designated rugby events.
Talent ID Days provide open-entry opportunities for eligible players to demonstrate their ability in front of pathway staff and scouts.
Regional Development Days are invite-only sessions for players already identified as having potential for national-team pathways.
USA Rugby recognizes independent National Development Programs that supplement the club environment and collaborate with the High Performance Pathways department.
USA Rugby has Junior National Team programs across several age groups as part of its wider development structure. They provide high-performance and international opportunities for identified players.
These programs should not be viewed as a mandatory U18 → U20 → U23 ladder. A player may participate in one, several or none of these programs and still be considered for senior international rugby later in their career.
USA Rugby currently describes its U18 pathway as generally serving leading players ages 16–18, primarily from high school rugby environments.
Identification can include scouting, clinics, combines, nominations and player film.
The U20 XVs pathway generally serves players ages 19–20 competing in collegiate or club rugby.
U20 teams can participate in formal age-grade international competition.
USA Rugby currently describes the U23 pathway as primarily serving players ages 19–23 competing in club or collegiate rugby across XVs or sevens.
The program provides another development opportunity between domestic rugby and senior international environments.
No. Junior National Team programs can be valuable development opportunities, but they are not mandatory prerequisites for senior national-team selection.
Eligible players can emerge from college, Senior Club Rugby, professional rugby, overseas competition or other environments and still be considered for senior USA Rugby programs.
USA Falcons teams are developmental sides supporting USA Rugby's senior national-team programs in XVs and sevens.
USA Rugby describes the Falcons as comparable to academy or "A" sides used by other national unions. They can provide additional international-level experience for developing players and current national-team athletes.
Falcons matches are not senior test matches and do not count as senior international caps or rankings matches.
USA Rugby currently states that competing for a USA Falcons XVs team can commit a player to the United States under the applicable international eligibility framework.
Because international eligibility regulations are technical and can change, players and teams should rely on the current USA Rugby and World Rugby rules when making eligibility decisions.
No. The better model is a network of different rugby environments connecting with USA Rugby's identification and development programs.
Players can be identified at different ages and from different competitions. Some may enter USA Rugby pathways early, while others may emerge later through college, club, professional or overseas rugby.
National-team selection ultimately depends on eligibility, performance and the decisions of the applicable USA Rugby national-team program.
Players can develop through youth, college, Senior Club, professional or overseas rugby.
USA Rugby uses scouting, Talent ID Days, Regional Development Days, Junior National Teams, National Development Programs, Falcons teams and other high-performance activity to identify and develop talent.
A player does not have to complete every pathway stage. The system is designed to identify eligible players from different environments and prepare the strongest candidates for international rugby.
USA Rugby is the national governing body, but American rugby is administered through a network of governing bodies, councils, competition organizations, unions, leagues, conferences, clubs and development programs. The organization responsible for a team or competition depends on which part of the game you are looking at.
This table is a simplified reference to the major parts of the American rugby system. It does not show every league, conference, union, governing body or competition.
| Area | Primary Organization or Structure | Main Role |
|---|---|---|
| Global Rugby | World Rugby | International federation and global rugby framework |
| Regional International Rugby | Rugby Americas North | Regional association for North America and the Caribbean |
| United States | USA Rugby | National governing body and international representation |
| Youth & High School | USA Youth & High School Rugby · State Youth Rugby Organizations | Youth and high school governance, administration and development through the national youth structure and SYROs |
| College Rugby | USA Rugby Collegiate National Council; CRAA, NIRA and conferences for competition administration | Collegiate governance and competition administration across multiple structures |
| Senior Club Rugby | Senior Club Council · Geographic Unions | Non-collegiate adult community rugby and associated regional competition structures |
| Professional Men's XVs | Major League Rugby | Professional men's XVs competition |
| Professional Women's XVs | Women's Elite Rugby | Professional women's XVs competition |
| National Teams | USA Rugby | USA national-team programs, international selection and high-performance structures |
| Player Development | USA Rugby High Performance Pathways | Talent identification and development toward national-team environments |
USA Rugby is the national governing body, but it does not directly operate every rugby competition in the United States.
Youth rugby, college rugby, Senior Club Rugby, professional rugby and international rugby all involve different organizations and administrative structures.
Governance, competition administration and league operation are therefore related, but they are not the same function.
Quick answers to common questions about how rugby is organized in the United States.
Yes. USA Rugby is the national governing body for rugby in the United States and represents the country within the international rugby system.
Yes. USA Rugby is a Full Member of World Rugby. The United States is also part of Rugby Americas North, the regional association for North America and the Caribbean.
No. USA Rugby is the national governing body, but many competitions are administered through councils, Geographic Unions, collegiate organizations, conferences and professional leagues.
No. Major League Rugby operates professional men's XVs competition. USA Rugby is the national governing body. The organizations can collaborate while remaining separate.
No. Women's Elite Rugby operates professional women's XVs competition. WER and USA Rugby have a formal sanctioning relationship, but they are separate organizations.
Not as one centralized national league. USA Rugby has a Collegiate National Council, while organizations including CRAA and NIRA, together with conferences and commissioners, administer important parts of collegiate competition.
Senior Club Rugby is governed through the USA Rugby Senior Club Council and Geographic Unions. Regional administrative structures can vary around the country.
USA Youth & High School Rugby provides the national youth and high school structure, with State Youth Rugby Organizations providing an additional state-level layer.
No. USA Senior Club Rugby and the professional leagues operate as separate competition structures. The United States does not currently use one promotion-and-relegation pyramid connecting Senior Club Rugby directly to MLR or WER.
No. Eligible players can develop through college rugby, Senior Club Rugby, professional rugby, overseas rugby and other environments.
No. USA Rugby's Junior National Team programs provide development opportunities, but they are not mandatory prerequisites for senior international selection.
National-team selection is handled through the applicable USA Rugby national-team and high-performance programs. Players must also meet the relevant international eligibility requirements.
No. Youth, college, Senior Club and professional rugby operate through different structures. Winning a community competition does not automatically promote a team into a professional league.
RFC Explains uses primary governing-body and competition sources wherever possible. Organizational structures can change, so current official regulations should always be used for live eligibility, governance and competition decisions.
Rugby governance, competition structures, eligibility rules and player pathways can change.
RFC reviews this guide as the American rugby system evolves. When a current competition rule or eligibility decision conflicts with a simplified explanation on this page, the applicable governing body's current published regulations should be treated as authoritative.
