Rugby Communities at Home and Abroad
Rugby is an international sport with communities all over the world. I am beyond blessed to have grown up in Wisconsin so I could get involved in the Wisconsin Girls Rugby community. I have learned from and enjoyed every minute of my rugby experience. I started in the Waukesha tag rugby program and progressed to coach and referee that program when I went on to play rugby at Catholic Memorial throughout my entire high school career. During that time I played for the WI All Stars team 3 times. After graduation I moved to Wales- a proud rugby nation of the UK- and have continued my rugby career at Cardiff University. I thought I would take a moment to reflect on my rugby communities and what makes them unique.
The most notable thing about WGR is that it is truly a welcoming and tight knit community. Rugby is not as popular in the USA as it is in the UK. While this can make it difficult to find opportunities, it allows those who do play to form a strong community. By the end of my high school career I knew at least one player on every high school girls rugby team in the state- whether it was from playing with them as apart of Wisconsin All Stars or sharing a meal with them after a match. Almost everyone I met through WGR was friendly, kind, and welcoming.
Why? Rugby is a particularly inclusive sport- something unfortunately rare.
Rugby is a sport that encourages different types of brains and bodies- requiring diverse skills, physical abilities and mindsets. I found that this inclusivity made me a much more confident person and I imagine it did the same for others. Especially in a country where few know about rugby, newcomers are eagerly welcomed. When I entered as a freshman there were several hardworking, kind, and confident girls in the years above me welcoming me and teaching me the sport. As I matured in the sport, I gained the confidence and knowledge to give back to the WGR community and do the same for newcomers. I can only hope this cycle continues in Wisconsin girls rugby.
Women’s rugby in Wales is likewise a strong community, but it is a much bigger one.
While you are unlikely to know everyone in the area playing your sport, there are sort of universal customs surrounding rugby. Rugby is a system in the UK. There are age grade pathways beginning contact rugby at under 9s- everyone starts at their home club and could then potentially play for their university team or county team (which is like playing for your state).There is a common conception of rugby initiations and club houses that serve food and drink after matches. When international matches are on the pubs fill up with red jerseys and everyone at training is talking about the match. It is a community because it is part of a national identity- similar to American Football in the USA. This means there are professionals to look up to and always someone to chat with about rugby.
While there is lot of excitement around men’s rugby, in recent years this is changing, particularly as the home nations (England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland) professionalize their women’s teams. The Women’s Six Nations tournament continues to gain media attention- with Tik Tok as it’s first major sponsor. In fact, one of my favorite rugby experiences in university was going to see the Women’s Six Nations with my teammates in Cardiff Arms Park- to a sell out crowd of enthusiastic supporters. And just this month, world rugby launched a new international women’s rugby competition, the World XV, with the USA competing in division 2 and Wales competing in Division 1.
As my dad-a founder of the WGR league- always said, you can always find a community by finding the local rugby team.
I was lucky enough to have an approachable community like WGR to introduce me to the sport- particularly in a way that is centered around the women and girls game. The Wisconsin Girls Rugby community is a home I know I can always come back to. Meanwhile, the rugby community in Wales has allowed me to expand my mindset, connect with many people, and experience flurries of excitement around my favorite sport. As different as these two communities are, they are both amazing experiences I have been beyond lucky to have.
