Seawolves are on the rise in athletics recently but none are rising as fast as the Women’s Rugby Club. The club is on the verge of possibly their best season since its inception in 1987, going undefeated, and was given the honor of hosting both the quarterfinal and semifinal games at Stony Brook. Other schools that will participate in the postseason tournament will include Binghamton University, University at Albany and Molloy College.
Women’s rugby may not be the first sport that comes to mind when looking at clubs to join on campus, but senior captain Carmen Ng suggests otherwise. “Women’s Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports on campus. We get lots of new players each semester and all are welcome to come try it out,” Ng said. They play 15 players at a time but have a much larger roster. In addition to local league play, women’s rugby also has competed in Sevens tournaments (seven players on the field at once) over the past couple of years in Las Vegas.
Not only is Rugby gaining ground on campus, but abroad as well. Next year’s Summer Olympics will play host to women’s rugby for the first time. Olympic competition is played Sevens style. Rugby has yet to join the NCAA stage, however, judging by the significant momentum college club rugby has made over the past few years it is not crazy to say that NCAA sponsorship is on the horizon.