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USA Rugby & CRAA Joint Venture: Unlocking the Future of College Rugby with Bill Goren & Paul Keeler
Description
Welcome back to another packed episode of U.S. Rugby Happy Hour! We kick things off celebrating Bill's Emmy win! and with our high-energy, unapologetically American intro jingle before diving into "The National Maul" segment with journalist Martin Pengelly, where we break down the latest Major League Rugby structural updates and college rugby governance.
Later in the episode, we sit down with USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren and CRAA Executive Director Paul Keeler to discuss the landmark strategic partnership and joint venture between USA Rugby and the Collegiate Rugby Association of America (CRAA). Goren and Keeler explain how this collaboration injects vital resources and financial oversight into collegiate rugby while preserving the grassroots community that built it. Tune in for an essential look at the future of the domestic game!
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to U.S. Rugby Happy Hour
01:10 Co-Hosts Catch-Up - Bill Wins an Emmy!
03:00 The National Maul with Martin Pengelly: MLR Status & College Rugby
13:19 Intro to USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren & CRAA ED Paul Keeler
15:00 The Vision Behind the USA Rugby and CRAA Joint Venture
22:30 Providing Resources, Staffing, and Financial Oversight to College Programs
31:10 Previewing the 2026–27 Postseason and National Championship Series
40:00 Preserving Grassroots Communities While Scaling High Performance
Hashtags: #USARugby #CRAA #MartinPengelly #CollegeRugby #MLR #RugbyPodcast #RugbyGrowth
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Check out americanrugbyrising.com for the latest on your USA Eagles, schedules, news and more, and visit rugbymorning.com for the latest on ALL rugby!
Hosts, Bill Baker and John Fitzpatrick are available for media opportunities and appearances. Contact information below.
Bill Baker, an Emmy award winning editor and producer, has curated Eagles Overseas Rugby since 1996, providing updates and news stories about USA Eagles plying their trade around the world.
http://www.americanrugbyrising.com
eaglesoverseas@comcast.net
John Fitzpatrick is the brain behind Rugby Morning, serving rugby news everyday via email newsletters to rugby fans around the world.
John@rugbymorning.com
http://www.rugbymorning.com
Martin Pengelly is a Washington-based reporter and editor. His “The National Maul” Substack about rugby in the US. His first book, Brotherhood: When West Point Rugby Went To War, is published by Godine.
https://thenationalmaul.substack.com/
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