Women’s Varsity Rugby Coming to WJU

Wheeling Jesuit University has announced the addition of women’s rugby to its line-up of varsity sports this fall. 

“The WJU women's program wants to join the growing effort to move women's rugby beyond its ‘emerging sport’ NCAA status and add to the more than 367 women's rugby programs and 12 NCAA varsity programs across the country,” the school said in a press release. 

The school cited the popularity of its four-year-old men’s varsity rugby program as a factor in deciding to add women’s rugby as a varsity sport. 

The new women’s program will compete independently in the 2016-17 season. As a varsity program, women’s rugby will enjoy a full-time head coach and offer scholarships.