ELLENSBURG, WASH — Central Washington University Athletics announced today that it has discontinued sponsorship of men’s and women’s rugby as varsity sports, effective at the end of the current academic year.
Director of Athletics Dr. Dennis Francois said the university administration arrived at the decision after months of careful consideration, citing numerous factors, including the uncertainty resulting from pending state budget cuts.
He thanked the many coaches and athletes who have helped the CWU men’s and women’s rugby programs establish themselves among the nation’s best over the past decade.
“This was very a difficult decision, and this news is incredibly disappointing for our rugby student-athletes, coaches, and our department as a whole,” Francois said. “I want to be clear that this decision is by no means a reflection on the student-athletes or coaching staffs who have helped these programs perform at an extremely high level year after year. Their success in competition and in the classroom speaks for itself.”
Francois pointed to additional factors that led to the decision to forego the sponsorship of varsity rugby at CWU, including increased operational expenses and the structural deficit the university is facing as a result of lower post-pandemic enrollment.
After weighing each of these financial considerations, CWU Athletics performed a comprehensive analysis of its current sport offerings and determined that it could no longer continue varsity sponsorship of the rugby programs, which were both elevated to varsity status in 2014-15.
CWU will honor all current rugby athletic scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year and provide support to help these student-athletes navigate the transfer process, should they wish to enroll elsewhere for degree completion.
For more information on the recent changes within the athletic department, please refer to the comprehensive FAQ available here.
Francois added that CWU Athletics will continue to focus on providing the resources required to maintain academic and athletic excellence for its remaining 13 NCAA championship sport programs.
Media contact: Dennis Francois, Director of Athletics, [email protected], 509-963-1945.
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