Andy Richards

In ARN’s Collegetalk #13, which was produced two weeks ago, the idea of a National Premier League was discussed.

I personally think it’s a great idea and have heard the rumors and talked about this possibility for several years now.

My only problem with talk of a College Premier League is that at the moment, it looks as if it is nothing more than just that, a lot of talk.

Also, in all these discussions, I never hear about what will happen to the teams from the shallow end of the gene pool; Division I, II and III teams which simply wouldn’t get into this league.

This Saturday, the first round of matches in the Carolinas Rugby League takes place.

The Carolinas Rugby League came about as a result of seven college clubs in the Carolinas banding together in an attempt to raise the level of play and the awareness of the game in North and South Carolina.

Building local leagues is not going to work for everyone, but for the teams of the CRL most of the games will be very competitive; every team in the league has a good chance of winning it, therefore it's not a step down and the standard of rugby within the league will get better with time.

Although we have decided on this approach for this season, there is an understanding that there will need to be changes made for next year and possibly for several years before we get it right.

The CRL might not be perfect, but what this weekend will bring is a new dawn for local leagues like the Carolinas Rugby League.

I think that college teams all over the USA have to understand that sooner or later the Premier League will be a reality.

They should be looking at how they can restructure the game locally now, not when they are forced to do so by the best teams in the country joining a premier league.

If you have a conference (ACC, SEC, Ivy League, Big 10, PAC 10, Big 12 or the Southern Conference) and most of the teams that want to join are within reasonable travelling distance, then think about building a viable league; even if some of the best teams have left for the national premier league.

Traditional rivalries within conferences will generate huge interest.

So what if it crosses LAU or TU boundaries, all you need to do is make sure it’s competitive, cost effective, and there is a chance you can create a local buzz and get spectators to watch.

I think a Collegiate Premier League is a no-brainer and will undoubtedly raise the standard of rugby across the nation.

But if we are talking about growing the game across the country and are trying to get people to come out and cheer for their college side, then let’s not forget or underestimate what the smaller rugby programs who have a big school name can do for the game.