USA Rugby & CRAA Joint Venture: Unlocking the Future of College Rugby with Bill Goren & Paul Keeler

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