Girl’s Rugby went to the State competition this Halloween. After a successful season last year, winning the whole state competition with a three game shutout, this year the Lady Jays grabbed third place.
Senior Hannah Reid predicted how she thought the team would do this year.
“I think we’re going to do really well, we have a really talented group of girls,” she said. “We had a lot of rookies come in this year who all picked up really quickly and that’s been fun to watch. Hopefully we’ll carry on the tradition that we have.”
Hannah Reid, attributed their success to teamwork. After finishing 4-0 in league play, had a chance to defend their title at State.
“We used a lot of good teamwork, which is how I think we were able to get so far this season,” sophomore Danielle Staples said. “Getting to know each other is really fun and everyone learned new things.”
Most of the players were able to keep a positive attitude leading up to the competition.
“I think we’re going to do pretty well,” freshman Lauren Tali said. “We have a bunch of players on our team that are really good. We’re all good at different positions and we each have our own thing that we bring to the team. We have good communication and a pretty strong sisterhood.”
This confident mindset was followed by many others such as Reid and Staples. However, their placement at State wasn’t just good luck.
“Our girls work hard and Sergeant Bloss with the National Guard has been a great asset in helping our girls get fit,” coach Tracey Davis said. “They are very driven to do well and it shows in their play on and off the field.”
While girls rugby is not currently a popular sport in the U.S., the team hopes to see a change in its current status.
“Girls’ Rugby is not a major sport in the U.S. right now,” Reid said. “Hopefully it will be in the next couple years once it’s introduced into the Olympics, but it’s such a rarity to find another person who’s a rugby player.”
Despite all their wins, most of the girls’ favorite part about playing rugby has almost absolutely nothing to do with their victories.
“My favorite part is getting to know everybody and forming the sisterhood that we form,” Staples said. “We have each other’s back for everything.”
Tali agreed.
“We’re basically like a family,” she said. “I love it because I’ve never felt like that before with any team. I’m glad I have the opportunity to play with the rugby team.”