Most students at Connecticut College are familiar with the amazing view that the Athletic Center has to offer. When the sun is out and shining on the river, you can see the boats of our sailing team gliding across the water. It makes for the perfect Instagram photo. What you can’t see from the Athletic Center, though, is Dawley Field, a large patch of grass that sits at the bottom of the hill, just beyond Silfen Field and right next to the river. Part of what makes Dawley Field so special is the teams that practice there every day in the rain, mud and dust. Among these is the Connecticut College Women’s Club Rugby team, and this team is moving up in the world.
This year the Women’s Rugby team moved from a Division III league to a much larger and more competitive league in Division II. Referred to as the NESCAC Conference, the league is composed of seven other NESCAC schools. The move required endless meetings, emails and phone calls made by senior captain Alex Capelin in order to prove that the team was ready and capable of playing at a higher level. The team will be playing as an “associate” league member this year, and if the year is successful they will be offered full membership in the league that will allow them to add home games to their schedule.
The women are incredibly close and share the same positive and hard-working attitude when it comes to playing the sport. They aren’t afraid to get down and dirty, and that is easy to see during practice. They are gritty and have fun shouting and laughing, not worrying at all about the mud they are covered in and showing a lot of heart and soul that the women think is their greatest strength.
Captain Capelin and junior Dana Sorkin understand, however, that as a club team it is important to teach people how to play and try to get more involved and interested in Women’s Rugby. Last year they travelled to Philadelphia to watch the USA Men’s Rugby team compete against the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national team, exposing team members to an extremely high level of competition. The girls also have a great relationship with the Men’s Club team. They share coaches, practice together and learn from each other.
Capelin and Sorkin agree that the team faces many challenges both on and off the field. The team’s toughest challenge is the popularity of women’s rugby, or lack thereof. Many people have no idea what rugby is and have no idea how to play the sport. However, Capelin and Sorkin insist that rugby is really easy to get into and attracts people from all over campus. Furthermore, it is a sport that can be enjoyed for life, with clubs popping up in communities everywhere, not just on college campuses. The team is planning to practice and play more games up on Tempel Green, which will certainly bring more attention to their sport. They are always looking for new members, and with both the fall and spring seasons it is never too late to join. You will meet great people and enjoy learning a new sport. So don’t hesitate if you’re curious about joining the team, and don’t forget – women ruck harder. •
