Women’s Rugby Trains for Upcoming Season

By: Stephanie Savage
Posted In: Sports

Newport, RI – You may have noticed several members of the Salve Woman’s Rugby team in O’Hare this past week as they recruited new players for their upcoming spring season.

Currently recognized as a Division IV club team, Salve’s Women’s Rugby kicked off its first season just this past fall. Thanks to Gabrielle Magowan, a junior, the new team is now well under way.

“I started going to the guys games and actually hated watching it because at first I had no idea what was going on,” Magowan said, inspired by the men’s team which was introduced to Salve just over a year ago. “I slowly learned the game and fell in love with it and when I found out more girls were interested, I thought we could do what the guys did and try starting a team.”

While many of the girls have been athletes their whole lives, all but two of the 14 girls on the team had never played rugby before. “It was quite the transition to go from non-contact sports to an intense physical sport,” says My-lan Chhu, a junior. “Rugby is not hard to grasp, but like every sport, athletes need commitment, physical and mental strength, and love for the sport. My teammates and I may not be experienced rugby players, but we have a whole lot of heart and are excited to make a name for ourselves.”

The girls will be hitting the field for their first game on Mar. 21, 2009. Until then they will be preparing both on and off the field as well as in the weight room three times a week. While the upcoming spring season doesn’t necessarily count towards the team’s record, the girls will be practicing and working hard in hopes of dominating next fall. And as Chhu points out about the girls’ experiences, “we’re all in the same boat, just trying to stay afloat and paddle out to a destination.”