The New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU) is a Geographical Union (GU) for rugby union teams in New England.
Prior to 2013, NERFU had been a local area union ("LAU"), and part of the Northeast Rugby Union (NRU), which is the governing body for three LAU's (New York State Rugby Football Conference (NYSRFC) and Metropolitan New York Rugby Union being the others).
There are currently over 80 active teams and over 3,000 registered players in the New England area.
Mission
The mission of the New England Rugby Football Union is to manage, serve, and promote the game of rugby in the New England area, at all levels of play; to assist member teams and participants in their various forms of involvement with the game; to adhere to all the laws of the game; and to encourage and facilitate the involvement of as many people as possible in rugby activities. NERFU focuses the majority of its attention on serving rugby at the club level, and less on the collegiate and HS levels.
Divisions
Men's
Club
Division I
Mystic River Rugby Club
Division II
Boston Irish Wolfhounds RFC Boston RFC Hartford Wanderers RFC Mystic Barbarians RFC New London, Coast Guard Academy RFC Newport RFC Portland RFC Worcester RFC South Shore Anchors RFC
Division III
Albany RFC Amoskeag RFC Boston Irish Wolfhounds RFC 2nd XV Boston Maccabi RFC Burlington RFC Charles River Rats RFC MIT RFC New London County RFC North Shore RFC Old Gold RFC Providence RFC
Division IV
Black River RFC Boston Ironsides RFC Cape Cod RFC Mad River/Stowe RFC Monadnock RFC Springfield RFC Seacoast Men's RFC Upper Valley RFC South Shore RFC 2nd XV
Collegiate
Division I NERFU's Division I program lost multiple rugby programs when the ivy league colleges left to form the Ivy League Rugby Conference (Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth). Boston College (see BCRFC) Middlebury College Northeastern University (see NURFC) Southern Connecticut State University University of Albany University of Connecticut University of Massachusetts Amherst
Division II Boston University College of the Holy Cross Norwich University University of New Hampshire University of Maine, Orono University of Rhode Island University of Vermont
Division III
Maine Conference Bates College Bowdoin College Colby College Maine Maritime Academy University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Orono
Boston Conference Babson College Curry College Tufts University Wentworth Institute of Technology Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Central Conference Bryant University Johnson and Wales University Massachusetts Maritime Academy Roger Williams College Salve Regina University Wheaton College University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Western Conference Amherst College Castleton University Franklin Pierce University Keene State College Plymouth State College Williams College
Southern Conference Brandeis University Central Connecticut State University Eastern Connecticut State University New Haven U23 Springfield College Trinity College University of Hartford Western Connecticut State University Western New England College
Division IV
Central Conference Connecticut College Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Nichols College Southern Vermont College Wesleyan University Westfield State University
South Conference Framingham State College Lasell College Mitchell College Rhode Island College University of New England
North Conference Champlain College Colby-Sawyer College Green Mountain College Johnson State College Lyndon State College Maine Maritime Academy
U19 NERFU has essentially abdicated its role in overseeing U-19/HS Rugby in favor of state based rugby organizations (SRBOs). In New England, there are nascent SRBOs in VT, CT and MA.
Division I Amoskeag RFC U19 Squad Bishop Hendricken High School Belmont High School (MA) Brookline High School Boston College High School Lincoln-Sudbury High School Scituate Stormers Rugby St. John's Preparatory School Middlesex RFC U19 Squad Xaverian Brothers High School
Division II Arlington Catholic High School Catholic Memorial High School Cheshire Rams Essex High School Fairfield High School Falmouth High School Groton School Kearsarge Regional High School Kimball Union Academy Mad River Valley Boys Marshfield High School Malden Catholic High School Middlesex Youth RFC Needham High School Men's Rugby Club North Country RFC U19 Squad North Quincy High School Rugby Football Club Phillips Exeter Academy Portland RFC U19 Squad Rutland RFC U19 Squad Springfield RFC Stanstead College Staples High School Upper Valley Youth RFC Winged Beavers
Massachusetts Youth Rugby Organization (MYRO) The Massachusetts SBRO (http://myrugby.org) is now the umbrella organization for youth rugby in the state. All High School, U19, and U15 clubs are now under their auspices.
Boston middle schools that play rugby include Washington Irving, Edwards, Orchard Gardens, and Lee Academy.Boston Globe, Youth rugby gains toehold in Boston, Dec. 23, 2012,
Women's
Club
Division I Boston Women RFC Beantown Division II Albany, New York WRFC Burlington WRFC Charles River WRFC Hartford Wild Roses Providence, Rhode Island WRFC Worcester WRFC
Division III Amoskeag WRFC North Shore WRFC Portland WRFC Seacoast WRFC South Shore WRFC Upper Valley WRFC
Collegiate
Division I
Eastern Conference Boston College Brown University Boston University Northeastern University Radcliffe College Providence College
Western Conference Amherst College Dartmouth College University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Connecticut Williams College Yale University
Division II
Downeast Conference Bates College Bowdoin College (Bowdoin College Men's Rugby) Colby College University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine, Orono University of New Hampshire
East Conference Babson College Wesleyan University Smith College Tufts University University of Rhode Island Wellesley College Worcester Polytechnic Institute
West Conference Castleton State College Keene State College Middlebury College Norwich University Plymouth State College University of Vermont
Division III
East Conference Bentley College Brandeis University Bridgewater State College MIT Stonehill College Wheaton College
South Conference US Coast Guard Academy Central Connecticut State University Rhode Island College Roger Williams University Trinity College University of Hartford Western Connecticut State University
West Conference Colby-Sawyer College Framingham State College Johnson State College Mount Holyoke College Saint Michael's College University of Massachusetts Lowell
Division IV
East Conference College of the Holy Cross Saint Anselm College University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Wentworth Institute of Technology
West Conference Connecticut College Green Mountain College Lyndon State College Nichols College Southern Vermont College Springfield College Western New England College
U19
Division I Colchester High School Essex High School Marshfield High School Newport High School Needham High School Women's Rugby Club Phillips Exeter Academy Portland RFC U19 Girls Rutland RFC U19 Girls South Burlington High School Sugar River Girls Upper Valley Youth Newton South High School Girls Rugby Club
Championships 1997 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - University of Massachusetts Lowell Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
1998 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - University of Massachusetts Lowell Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
1999 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Norwich University Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2000 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - New England College All Black's
Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2001 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Tufts University Men's College D4 - Bentley University Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2002 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Men's College D4 - Brandeis University Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2003 Men's Club D1 - Boston Irish Wolfhounds Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Men's College D4 - Wheaton College Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2004 Men's Club D1 - Boston Irish Wolfhounds Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Men's College D4 - Maine Maritime Academy Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2005 Men's Club D1 - Boston Irish Wolfhounds Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - Men's College D3 - Bentley University Men's College D4 - Saint Anselm College Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -
2006 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 - Men's Club D3 - Women's Club D1 - Women's Club D2 - Women's Club D3 - Men's College D1 - Men's College D2 - United States Coast Guard Academy Men's College D3 - Bentley University Men's College D4 - Nichols College Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 - Women's College D4 -
2007 Men's Club D1 - Men's Club D2 Men's Club D3 Women's Club D1 Women's Club D2 Women's Club D3 Men's College D1 Men's College D2 - Middlebury College Men's College D3 - Plymouth State University Men's College D4 - University of Massachusetts Dartmouth See: 2007 NERFU College Men's Division IV Rugby Tournament Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 - Women's College D4 -
2008 Men's Club D1 - Boston Irish Wolfhounds Men's Club D2 Men's Club D3 Women's Club D1 Women's Club D2 Women's Club D3 Men's College D1 Men's College D2 - Middlebury College Men's College D3 - Salve Regina University See: 2008 NERFU College Men's Division III Rugby Tournament Men's College D4 - Holy Cross College Women's College D1 - United States Military Academy Women's College D2 - Stonehill College Women's College D3 - Bryant University Women's College D4 - Holy Cross College
2009 Men's Club D1 Men's Club D2 Men's Club D3 Men's Club D4 - Saratoga Springs Stampede Women's Club D1 Women's Club D2 Women's Club D3 Men's College D1 Men's College D2 - UMASS Amherst Men's College D3 - Men's College D4 - Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 -Massachusetts Institute of Technology Women's College D4 -
2010 Men's Club D1 Men's Club D2 Men's Club D3 - Saratoga Springs Stampede Men's Club D4 Women's Club D1 Women's Club D2 Women's Club D3 Men's College D1 Men's College D2 Men's College D3 - Salve Regina University See 2010 NERFU College Men's Division III Rugby Tournament Men's College D4 - Women's College D1 - Women's College D2 - Women's College D3 - Women's College D4 -
2016 Men's Club D1 Men's Club D2 Men's Club D3 Men's Club D4 Women's Club D1 Women's Club D2 Women's Club D3 Men's College D1 Men's College D2 Men's College D3 - University of Maine at Orono Men's College D4 Women's College D1 Women's College D2 Women's College D3 Women's College D4 -
2023