Women’s rugby finished undefeated in the regular fall season, making it all the way to the final match of the Metropolitan Rugby Union Championship. Ever since the establishment of SBU women’s rugby, there has never been such dominance. A #1 going into the Divisional Playoffs, they ended their run in the championship final, coming up short in an emotional game against rival University of Marist. Marist ended the year ranked number #2 in the U.S for Division III.

This spring season the Widows used their momentum playing in high profile tournaments such as the Savannah Shamrock’s Tournament held in Savannah, Ga., where they were competitive against the likes of the University of Michigan and Ohio State University. They played in the Beast of the East Tournament in Providence, R.I., which is the biggest collegiate rugby tournament in the northeast, where they advanced all the way to the semi-finals.

For their last contest of the year, the rugby team entered and won the Big Apple Classic Tournament, posting a shutout. Captain Nyoka Pierce, a senior, was awarded the Player of the Tournament Award for 2008. The Big Apple Classic is considered one of the premier tournaments held in the spring. At the after party, Nyoka Pierce was quoted yelling ‘Spring Break ’08,’ a reoccurring phrase amongst the team. This refers to a week-long rugby tour down south organized by David Hairston of Campus Recreation, which gave the team an opportunity to bond and move beyond the tough defeat they accrued in the final game of the fall season.

The upcoming 2008-2009 year looks promising as well, because of the addition of many new rookies who stepped up to the plate and contributed crucially in the dominant style of rugby. Rookies such as Meagan Border and returning veteran players Amy Drislane and Sophia Qadri are a sure sign of many future victories and titles for Stony Brook University as this team embarks on this new era of rugby.