Women's Rugby

Austin Hall now enters his 9^th year as head coach of the Norwich women’s rugby program. In 2011-12, Coach Hall led the Cadets to two National Championship victories, including the Division I National 7’s Title and the Division II National 15’s Title.  During his tenure, he has also guided the Cadets to six Northeast Championships in 15’s. Coach Hall’s career records of 120-39-3 overall and 73-11-1 in 15’s league and playoff play are amongst the best in the nation.  With the launch of Norwich 7’s in 2011, Coach Hall and the Cadets not only won the national title, but posted a 6-0 record and outscored Division I opponents 175-25.

Coach Hall is currently the backfield coach on the Under-20 Women’s National Team.  He has coached in 4 international matches, with wins over South Africa and Canada.  In summer of 2011, Hall was a member of the National Team staff that finished second in the world at the Nation’s Cup.  He has also coached various regional and local All-Star teams, including the Northeast U-20 side, the NERFU Selects and the Vermont All-Stars. 

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Anthropology, Hall happily admits he is most drawn to the artistry and beauty of the game of rugby.  He considers his coaching position to be part teacher and part artist.  He believes creativity, hard work, and fun, by coaches and players alike, are paramount to a team’s success.  His coaching style is organic, growing in new directions every practice and allowing for individual player strengths to flourish in a team centered environment.  His favorite part of coaching is watching players develop and reach their potential both on and off the field.     

Hall grew up in a rugby family and attributes his love for the game to the many great coaches and mentors he has had along the way. He keeps his rugby boots and his mouth guard in his car at all times, always on the lookout for a pick-up rugby match. He is a member of the New England Rugby Referees Society and referees a handful of matches each year.

Most important to Hall are his twin sons Tucker and Simon. They reside in Northfield with their dogs Ollie and Belle-Belle. The Hall family enjoys playing outside, playing all sorts of games and sports, reading, and jamming out to Led Zeppelin and Johnny Cash songs.