Every fall weekend on the mountain is something to be anticipated. While most students flock to the football stadium, a select few choose a different field. At Stringer Field, Saturday is not football day, but rugby day. While Stringer is the stomping ground of the Purple Haze men’s rugby team, it also belongs to the Sewanee Lady Ruckus, a smaller but ever-fierce rugby team for women.
Re-established in 2013, Sewanee Lady Ruckus has been growing in both size and skill for over two years. Although rugby has a stereotypical reputation for being a dangerous sport, it is in fact much less dangerous than football and has many benefits that outweigh the risks. As the sport emphasizes both body control and agility, players avoid injury and gain a sense of physical space. Other benefits include physical education credit, gnarly battle scares, all the friendships and bonds made on the rugby team, and the fellowship enjoyed with team members and opposing teams after the matches. While all women are welcomed and accepted if they so desire to participate on this club team, both men and women are more than welcome to come out and support. Currently, Lady Ruckus is undefeated this season after their 43-0 win over Western Kentucky University two weeks ago. The first lady ruckus home game will be the 31st of October against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The captains include Oksana Creech, Jessah Lowry, Marianne Sanders, and Katie Weigel. Come out and support Lady Ruckus!
I personally joined the team the fall of my freshmen year, influenced by my brother. I find being on a team in college to be very valuable– it gives me stability and support amidst the stress that comes with college. I’m a flanker and a kicker, which gives me a sense of efficacy and duty to my team. Being on the rugby team been another avenue to give me a sense of purpose in the Sewanee community, adding club athlete as another way for me to dive into Sewanee life. So join the rugby team, or a team in general, and get out of your comfort zone and expand your Sewanee experience.