Women are stereotypically painted into corners — told where they can go, and what they can do. As gender roles erode, breaking those molds becomes more common in the world of sports.
Pitt Women’s Rugby Football Club offers just that — an opportunity for students to reject those expectations.
Ladies and “they-dies” alike deserve the opportunity to compete. Rugby is a sport with continuous play. There’s no time for breathers while the team huddles after every gain in yardage.
While the NFL currently debates the legitimacy and safety concerns of the “Tush Push,” a rugby player might laugh at these notions. To a rugby player, that’s an average “scrum” — a fundamental component of the game. These scrums and “rucks” all occur without the bulky helmets and pads that football players require. This and more happens in the Pitt Sports Dome when the team takes the pitch.
“I feel like rugby is one of those sports, especially in women’s sports, that women are allowed to break the norm of what people think women should be,” president and national collegiate rugby all-star Liz Scabilloni said. “Stereotypically, women are thought of as these delicate little gymnasts. And that’s fine, gymnasts are badass, and dancers are badass. But I think rugby is a great outlet to do something that you maybe want to do but can’t otherwise, just because you’re put in a box.”
A big part of the team’s culture is trying something new.
“I was a competitive swimmer for like 12 years, and I wanted to do something completely different,” first-year engineering major Sophia Cramer said. “So I went full contact sport. I chose rugby. A friend of mine played it and really liked it, so thought I’d give it a try.”
The bond between players is a central theme. Forged together through their need to compete with physicality, the club formed an inclusive community ready to support each other regardless of circumstance.
“I would say my favorite part is just being in this group where we can play a competitive sport, where it’s pretty aggressive, but we also, outside of it, can just hang out,” Scabilloni, senior communication science and disorders major, said. “You can always rely on everyone for anything or just to talk to.”
This community reaches far past the club at Pitt. Rugby players themselves share a bond that extends from the bottom of each scrum to off of the field.
“The community is amazing,” senior linguistics and applied developmental psychology major Olivia Snyder said. “No matter where you go, you can find a person that knows somebody who plays rugby or plays rugby themselves, and you automatically have the best friends that’ll also like, somehow be there for you. It’s very, very nice and supportive.”
“Anybody that you meet that plays rugby probably looks terrifying, but is actually the nicest person ever,” Cramer said. “And also, it’s helped me gain a lot of confidence. I’ve always been really tall and strong, and in swimming, that wasn’t always the best thing. But here I’ve really been able to utilize it and take pride in my strength.”
For those on the fence, the club has an in-house rule — give it two weeks. After those two weeks, tryouts often fall in love with the sport just like the rest of the team.
“I always tell new players when you arrive to give it two weeks,” head coach Chelsey Mitchell said. “Rugby is a sport that’s not super popular yet in the States, and there’s just a lot of different rules and techniques that are going to be a little confusing and a little intimidating. So those first two weeks, you really have to give it the opportunity to flourish into the sport that it is. And after that, if it’s not for you, that’s OK. But I think after those two weeks, it sucks you in and you won’t want to leave.”
Despite the high intensity, rugby remains a place for all. Regardless of athletic ability or specialized skill set, the sport has a place for anyone to make valuable contributions.
“As a person that was bigger, I played competitive volleyball for six years, and that is not a sport that supports my body type,” Snyder said. “And when I went to rugby, they were like, ‘Wait, no, you’re great. You’re gonna do this, and you’re gonna be great at it.’ And it was really, really nice to be included as I am.”
“If you think like you’re not competitive enough, or you’re not in shape enough, it really does not matter who you are,” Scabilloni said. “Rugby is literally for everyone, no matter what body type you are, no matter what like, quote, ‘athletic ability’ you have, or strengths and weaknesses — you’ll work into the team somehow.”
Rugby’s reputation for causing gruesome injuries leaves some wary. But with the provided training practice of technique, the players feel safe while enjoying the physicality.
“It doesn’t hurt to try,” Cramer said. “It probably looks like it hurts. People think that it’s a bloodbath, free-for-all, but it’s really not. There are so many rules in place to prevent people from getting hurt. And when you come to a practice everyone is just going to be so excited to have you there and teach you all the proper ways to do things. Even if you’ve literally never set foot on any field in your life, you’ll be OK. They’ll teach you.”
“The first time you do tackle, it may not be perfect, but you learn, and it makes you feel good about what you’ve accomplished,” Scabilloni said.
The team’s bond grows stronger with each late-night practice and weekend. From jam-packed car rides to freezing cold tournaments, the players love every moment of the journey.
“As a coach, my favorite memory is definitely our tournament going to Frostbite,” said Mitchell. “It’s where everybody is just freezing cold and playing in February [and] March. It brings you all together, and it’s just a fun time getting out there while you’re freezing cold, getting the most out of everyone.”
Even after graduating from law school, Mitchell can’t stop herself from coming back and neither can most players.
“It’s a family,” Mitchell said. “These are the people that you’ll meet, and they’re in your lives forever. So it just sucks you in. It’s a really good community, and you never want to leave.”
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