Getting involved in college is important; it’s a great way to experience college life and meet new people. Whether it’s in a sorority, fraternity, club or athletics team, there are so many options to get involved at Millersville University. One of those options is a club sport: Women’s Rugby.
Rugby is a full-contact sport where players use an ovoid, or egg-shaped ball that cannot be passed forward. Instead working as a team the ball can only be run with or kicked in the direction of the goal. Since 1992, MU women’s rugby has been working hard, every season, trying to advance to playoffs and win as many games as they can until the end of their season. The game requires 15 players on the field for a match, and Millersville currently has 17 girls on the team.
If you’ve never played rugby before, don’t worry! “I never played any sports in high school,” said sophomore Kaitlin Crane. “Rugby was something I had never tried before and I wanted to do something new when I went to college; I also figured it would be a great way to meet people.”
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The girls on the team hold activities during the week to get together and do something fun. “We have team nights on Fridays before games and we also all get together after our games to hang out,” said senior Rachel Frey. “We do lots of fundraisers as a team as well as other activities to get our name out there.
You’re probably thinking this sounds like a lot of fun, right? But how will you fit this into your busy schedule with all your schoolwork and jobs? Rugby practice is five days a week, Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m., and games are on Saturdays at 11 a.m.
“For me, rugby is two hours of my day to have fun with my teammates and take a break from schoolwork,” said Frey. “The team is very accommodating when our schedules get hectic, so it makes it easy to have time for practice and school.
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The women’s rugby team encourages female students to join the team; no experience is necessary. All that is required are cleats, mouth-guard and the willingness to learn. Rugby is a year-round sport beginning in September and running till playoffs at the end of October. The team regroups in February for practice, meets and preparation for fall playoffs.
“It’s a very fun sport, and a great way to stay active and meet a great group of people!” said Crane.
For more information about the women’s rugby team, visit www.millersvillerugby.com, joing the MU Women’s Rugby group on Facebook, or contact captain Rachael Frey at rbfrey@marauder.millersville.edu or coach Max Digiulio at rugger009@hotmail.com.