To say that Justin Hickey’s star is on the rise in the world of US Rugby might be inaccurate, as it implies accomplishments are on the horizon but remain unfulfilled. This is far from the case for Hickey, the former Clemson head coach who led the Tigers to back-to-back Atlantic Coast Rugby League championships in 2013 and 2014, winning league Coach of the Year both seasons. Hickey is also co-creator and co-director of Nike Rugby Camps, and received the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup 2015 Coach of the Year award. He has over two decades of coaching and playing experience both at home and abroad and is an assistant on the USA Rugby Collegiate All-American coaching staff. Completing his dissertation for a PhD in Educational Leadership, Hickey is also the new athletic director of Moon Area High School outside of Pittsburgh.
Needless to say, when a few months back an article on rugby as collegiate growth sport ran here on College AD and we thought it would be a good idea to get an expert’s take with firsthand experience in the college rugby world, Hickey was an obvious choice. He was kind enough to answer some questions for us, and we hope he’ll continue to weigh-in on rugby’s growing place in America’s collegiate sports world.
Can you clarify what the varsity status is of rugby, what “varsity” means in general in the collegiate rugby community, and what is provided by universities to their non-NCAA, varsity sports?
“Varsity” status varies among collegiate rugby programs. For example, some varsity programs might be athletic department programs, where student athletes receive scholarships (full or partial), and all benefits of any other athletic department program (i.e. tutoring/academic services, university insurance, admissions assistance, dedicated facilities, athletic department budget, full-time coaching staff, medical staff, strength & conditioning services and other high performance education/services…nutrition, sports psychology, etc.),whereas some varsity programs may receive some, but not all of these benefits, such as no scholarships, or part-time staff, or facility share, etc. Varsity programs are housed within athletic departments, whereas “club” programs are often found within Student Affairs/Rec Sports Departments.
What would be the significance of gaining NCAA credentialing for the sport, especially in comparison with where it currently stands
The significance would mainly come in the form of credibility. Without NCAA status, the sport is often viewed as recreational within most institutions. NCAA status may aid in influencing athletic departments to invest in rugby programs when considering adding additional sport(s) to the department. It can only be assumed that with more NCAA/varsity programs the sport would attract better athletes and provide greater development opportunity for young players by being immersed in higher quality daily training environments. Coach development is presently a concern in the USA and there is a need for better coaches at all levels. It’s hard to say whether NCAA status would improve this or would rather make positions available to unqualified coaches. However, in the long run, I believe exposing coaches to these environments can only aid in the development of coaches in the USA also.
What types of financial commitments would fielding an NCAA rugby team require for a university?
Rugby is a fairly inexpensive sport to operate when compared to sports requiring a large amount of equipment such as football, lacrosse, hockey, etc. The majority of operational costs associated with a rugby program come in the form of travel & staff. Very little equipment and supplies are needed to outfit a rugby player. Similar to a soccer athlete, rugby players are equipped with field shoes, shorts, & shirt. Some protective equipment is worn and capital investment into field equipment is needed on a limited basis.
What is currently being done to assist with NCAA accreditation, and is this something the sport is even striving for/feels it needs?
In 2003, when rugby became classified as an NCAA Emerging Sport, USA Rugby, the sport’s National Governing Body, made efforts to increase awareness of rugby to collegiate athletic directors. I don’t know the details of those efforts, how well they were/are sustained but I do not believe great traction or momentum was gained. I believe there to currently be approximately 10-12 Varsity women’s programs at NCAA institutions, what USA Rugby did to influence these moves, I don’t know. In my humble opinion, I do believe that more priority should have been and should continue to be given to this initiative.
What benefits to a college and specifically a university’s athletic department could be derived by investing in rugby?
Athletic departments could see potential outcomes resulting from investing in a rugby program including increased revenue, enrollment, greater domestic and international brand exposure, and increased global visibility. Additionally, universities have the opportunity to be an industry leader in what is currently the fastest growing sport in America. Cal-Berkeley has been the gold standard of men’s collegiate rugby for a number of years and other programs such as BYU, Central Washington, St. Mary’s and Life University have propelled themselves into the competitive landscape. Those institutions that choose to invest into rugby are getting in on the front end of what is the 2nd largest sport in the world and has the potential to gain incredible popularity in the USA.
What can people who want to see the sport grow do to increase its footprint in the collegiate ranks?
Support their alma maters and any other programs they’re personally invested in, through development office funds and endowment accounts. They can support current competitions and events such as the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championships, the Penn Mutual Varsity Cup Championships in person or on TV (both on the NBC family of networks) as well as the USA Rugby Men’s and Women’s Collegiate Championship events. People should consider commercial and sponsorship opportunities for any companies they are closely associated with.
Thanks to Mr. Hickey for his participation. You can follow him on Twitter @JustinMHickey.
Feature image via Twitter/@ClemsonRugby
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