A Tackling Family
UCI Women's Rugby Team stay in their huddle on and off the field.
By: Kenia Torres (edited by Rebecca Reyna)
As UC Irvine's rugby coach and two other girls help,
Marcy, one of the backs, shuts her eyes and groans as they place her on the wet, self-stick grass. Christina, a forward, is sitting down next to her as she helps elevate Marcy’s ankle in order to relieve some of the pain. The team continues to practice their defensive strategies, but they never fail to acknowledge Marcy during their breaks.
Rugby, known for being an aggressive sport, is anything but laid-back. With a winning record of 2-1, UC Irvine’s women’s rugby team rigorously practice to add another win. Coach separates the girls in regards to their positions. There are two positions known as forwards and backs. The forwards are known to be the bigger, stronger players, while the backs are the faster and more agile players. Even though there are two different positions, the girls always huddle together and remain close together throughout the practice and game.
However, many of the girls here did not know what rugby was until they joined.
Marcy, a fourth-year who joined back in 2011, said, “Not a lot of people play rugby so everyone starts at the same level. A lot of teams that we play against are just as new as we are.”
In prior years, the women’s rugby team barely had enough players to put out on the field. The required number of players is 15, but early on when the club was founded in spring of 2011, the team barely rounded up 15 girls to play. If anyone got hurt, they needed to stay in the game no matter what. Now, UC Irvine’s rugby team is growing every year so there are more than enough subs for the starters.
The girls on the rugby team can always count on each other on and off the field.
Christina, a second year forward, admits, “You are at a UC and you feel lonely and you have a family here. You have someone you can rely on and someone you can depend on.”
With a Groupme, these girls stay in their rugby huddle.
The girls participate in tournaments in San Diego and are preparing for a retreat next month. They no longer have to drag girls out to practice because the sport continues to grow with the support of each other.
“I like that a lot of people do not know what rugby is and it’s nice because it’s a growing sport, so you feel like you are a part of something.” said Marcy. Without a doubt, Marcy has helped lead the legacy in women’s rugby at UC Irvine.
Many players are hopeful that Rugby will earn some recognition on a national level once it returns to the Summer Olympics in 2016.
Rugby, known for being an aggressive sport, is anything but laid-back. With a winning record of 2-1, UC Irvine’s women’s rugby team rigorously practice to add another win. Coach separates the girls in regards to their positions. There are two positions known as forwards and backs. The forwards are known to be the bigger, stronger players, while the backs are the faster and more agile players. Even though there are two different positions, the girls always huddle together and remain close together throughout the practice and game.
However, many of the girls here did not know what rugby was until they joined.
Marcy, a fourth-year who joined back in 2011, said, “Not a lot of people play rugby so everyone starts at the same level. A lot of teams that we play against are just as new as we are.”
In prior years, the women’s rugby team barely had enough players to put out on the field. The required number of players is 15, but early on when the club was founded in spring of 2011, the team barely rounded up 15 girls to play. If anyone got hurt, they needed to stay in the game no matter what. Now, UC Irvine’s rugby team is growing every year so there are more than enough subs for the starters.
The girls on the rugby team can always count on each other on and off the field.
Christina, a second year forward, admits, “You are at a UC and you feel lonely and you have a family here. You have someone you can rely on and someone you can depend on.”
With a Groupme, these girls stay in their rugby huddle.
The girls participate in tournaments in San Diego and are preparing for a retreat next month. They no longer have to drag girls out to practice because the sport continues to grow with the support of each other.
“I like that a lot of people do not know what rugby is and it’s nice because it’s a growing sport, so you feel like you are a part of something.” said Marcy. Without a doubt, Marcy has helped lead the legacy in women’s rugby at UC Irvine.
Many players are hopeful that Rugby will earn some recognition on a national level once it returns to the Summer Olympics in 2016.
Similar to football and soccer cleats, these shoes are designed for running on a field. Many of the girls choose different color cleats, ultimately emphasizing each of their personalities.
One day I just passed by the rugby booth and I was like 'oh! What is that sport? I'm going to try it! And I ended up sticking to it." Marcy recalls.
Someone came up to me and told me 'You look like you can pay rugby!' I was like oh really? I thought I was going to quit because at first I was like this is so bad! But I ended up staying and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made." said Christina.
One of the main differences between rugby and football is the ball. In rugby, the ball is a bit rounder than in football allowing a better bounce when kicking the ball instead of passing the ball.