To Our NERFU Member Clubs, Players, Refs, Coaches, Volunteers, and Friends
Following USA Rugby’s announcement regarding the 2025-26 dues increase, we wanted to share our experience working with USA Rugby and highlight the tangible benefits this partnership has delivered to New England rugby.
USA Rugby is helping us organize what will be the largest Training & Development Summit in the country, right here in New England. This event will bring rare certification opportunities for coaches and referees that are already drawing interest from participants well outside our union boundaries.
These summits require significant coordination and resources. USA Rugby’s ongoing support is enabling us to offer professional development opportunities that would be logistically and financially challenging to provide independently, while positioning NERFU and New England broadly as a leader in rugby education.
During our recent Atlantic Super Regional tournament, USA Rugby staff provided crucial administrative support that impressed everyone involved. They managed hundreds of teams across multiple divisions, fielded countless emails from clubs and players, dealt with eligibility complications, and coordinated across time zones—all while providing prompt, professional, and generous responses to what must have been an overwhelming volume of communications.
Their dedicated support enabled us to host a successful event that showcased New England rugby at its best.
The Senior Club Council’s decision to provide financial support for Super Regional tournaments demonstrates that resources are flowing back to the local level from our national framework. While the Council operates independently with its own revenue, this represents collective investment returning real dollars to participating unions—evidence that the governance structure is delivering tangible benefits.
USA Rugby has been an important partner in developing modern disciplinary procedures. When several NERFU volunteers attended judicial officer training programs (fully funded by USA Rugby) we gained access to World Rugby legal expertise that would have been challenging or even impossible to secure independently.
This investment addresses a critical challenge: every season, rugby loses approximately one-third of its players, often due to experiences that feel unfair or unsafe. Professional disciplinary procedures create an environment where players trust that their safety and the game’s integrity are protected. For parents considering rugby for their children, these standards are increasingly essential.
The response from our clubs has been overwhelmingly positive. Players (and our families and friends) appreciate knowing that misconduct will be addressed professionally and consistently across the region.
Rugby Xplorer is leaps and bounds an improvement over the two prior competition management systems. It has some drawbacks, as would any system trying to meet the needs of numerous diverse groups, and a network as huge and complex as the one in the United States, but what’s particularly impressive is that USA Rugby maintains a partnership with Rugby Xplorer and continually develops the system over time to meet the unique needs of the American market. Since its inception, several quality of life improvements have been made, and we continue to provide feedback for its future upgrading.
This success reflects the hard work and dedication of NERFU’s current Board and Management Team members, combined with productive relationships we’ve built with USA Rugby staff. These partnerships allow us to leverage national resources while maintaining local control over our priorities and operations.
USA Rugby continues to serve as responsive partners and we regularly consult on new initiatives. Their willingness to collaborate has created opportunities we couldn’t pursue independently, while respecting our autonomy as a geographic union.
We’re excited about future possibilities emerging from this working relationship—opportunities to expand coaching and referee education, enhance player safety, and grow rugby participation across New England. These goals are achievable when local expertise combines with national resources and support.
Our experience demonstrates that meaningful partnerships produce results when unions and clubs actively engage in shaping initiatives that benefit their members. We encourage our clubs and other unions across the states to remain involved in these collaborative efforts as we continue building rugby together.
The investments reflected in the modest dues increase support infrastructure that directly benefits our players, coaches, and clubs. From professional development opportunities to tournament support to safety initiatives, these partnerships are strengthening rugby at every level.