The 4th Annual Urban Rugby Championship will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana from March 20 to 22, 2025. MICR will gather with mission-aligned programs from all across the country in the name of equality, access, and opportunity through rugby. The transformative power of our sport will be on full display throughout the weekend of empowering experiences, community building, social-emotional learning, top-flight competition and celebration.
Urban Rugby America (an organization founded in partnership with MICR) subsidizes travel, delivers resources and unites affiliate organizations to ensure black and brown student-athletes from under-resourced communities can access what is becoming the premier rugby competition on American soil. In 2024, MICR's girls took home 1st place, while MICR boys earned a solid 2nd! See more about the 2024 tournament, which included a college fair and visits to national monuments and museums, in this video produced by The Rugby Network.
What our players can look forward to at the Urban Rugby Championship 2025 in New Orleans:
Experience Major League Rugby: The tournament will be held at the Shrine on Airline, NOLA Gold's home stadium. On Saturday, after the URC tournament, our players will get to attend the NOLA Gold's match against Los Angeles as part of the Major League Rugby championship.
Connect with Other Rugby Youth: MICR players can look forward to connecting with their peers from across the country over a meal and cultural exchange activities at the tournament welcome dinner. After the 2024 tournament, one of the players said, "What I really like is how we got, like, different teams from different cities just coming as one, all being like brothers and sisters, playing together to compete."
College Fair and Visits: Part of the tournament weekend are visits to local colleges and universities, giving our players an opportunity to see themselves represented in higher education institutions and learn more about how to achieve their educational goals. Additionally, colleges and universities from throughout the country will send representatives to a college fair hosted by Urban Rugby America, allowing players the chance to explore their college options further. Rugby is a pathway to college for many of our players, who develop leadership, resilience, responsibility and teamwork on and off the pitch.
Exploration of New Orleans: Throughout the weekend, players will tour the city with their coaches, mentors, and teammates, building new perspectives and connections while exploring and learning about New Orleans's history, arts, and culture.
Full-Day Tournament: The core of the weekend will be the day-long, action-packed 7's tournament on Saturday, March 22. Rugby teams from across the nation will showcase their prowess and vie for the title, competing in the only space in American rugby dedicated to promoting, empowering and celebrating black and brown students from under-resourced communities.
“Urban Rugby America is about breaking barriers and expanding horizons,” said Lisa Finegan, the director of LA-based Inner-City Education Foundation, which, along with MICR, was one of the founding members of Urban Rugby America. “At its core, our mission is to provide black and brown youth from under-resourced communities with access to opportunities they might never have imagined — whether it’s traveling cross-country, experiencing new cultures, or competing against high-level teams that look like them. This initiative isn’t just about rugby; it’s about equity, representation, and ensuring that young athletes from our communities have the same transformational experiences as anyone else in the sport.”