NCR Announces Women's Pathways, Portugal Return

National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) recently announced significant new pathways for women’s rugby at its 2026 Women’s All-Star Championship in Atlanta, where 340 elite collegiate athletes converged for a crucial scouting showcase. This high-intensity event served as a centralized hub for identifying talent for national camps and professional opportunities, including preparing the NCR Women’s High-Performance 7s team for their return to Portugal’s prestigious Algarve 7s (June 5-7), aiming for a title after last year's finals run. Further expanding professional pathways, NCR enhanced its partnership with Australia’s NRL, sending 15 standout athletes to form the NRLW-NCR Select Team for a fully-funded invitation to the Vegas 9s Tournament in late February, offering direct auditions and potential trials in Australia with the NRLW. Combined with a summer XVs cycle including an international match in mid-August, these initiatives, as NCR Women’s Director Alycia Washington stated, represent a “fundamental shift” making the professional rugby pathway “more visible or more attainable” for US talent.