WPI Women's Rugby

Eighty minutes, fifteen positions, and a hooker--are you in?  In the world of women's rugby, one of the fastest growing sports in the country, dirty business is all in a day's work.  Don't let the name fool you, the WPI Engineers are neither meek nor feeble.  They are the kids your mother wouldn't let you play with, the kids that pushed the bullies around in high school, and they are the kids who like a little pizza with their pizza.  Want to know more?  Look around and see what you find...

Links:

Why Do We Play Rugby??

Teapot Photo Album

WPI Men's Rugby Club

New England Rugby Union

WPI School Site

Coaches:

Scroll over the picture to see these sexy champs!

Head Coach:

Joe Sanchez

Asst. Coach:

Linda Borgeson

Asst. Coach:

Ally Barford

So, what is rugby, you might ask? It's an aquired taste, and some might even call it a sickness, but it is without a doubt a sport for the slightly twisted.  It's like a combination of football and soccer, with a few big differences.  The ball looks like a football only fatter and not as pointy, and it is thrown in an underhand pass.  The team ends up in a variation of a V shape, looking like a flock of geese.   Big, angry geese that are ready and willing to knock you to the ground.  That's right, a huge part of rugby is tackling the opponents, which leads to specialized plays called rucks and mauls.  Points are scored through tries, like touchdowns,  and kicks through the goal posts, called a conversion.  The really strange part is that the game is played with as much contact as football, but with only the protection of a mouthguard and the fetal position when on the ground.

What is this rugby you speak of?

Why would I want to play this crazy game?

Really, what kind of a demented person would want to play this game?  It takes a special person to enjoy rugby, and after the first game, they're hooked.  Rugby is not just a sport, it's an experience and it's a lifestyle.  Spectator participation is key--it's not a lawnchair and lemonade kind of sport.  The closeness on the field (ahem, scrums) is shared off the field, as rugby is unique in the extent of team camaraderie.  Post-game traditions fuel the friendships among players regardless of their jersey color.  Once you've played, and lived, rugby, there's no turning back.  Rugby is a fast paced and physically strenuous club sport, requiring endurance and quick thinking.  Despite the adrenaline and charged emotions, on-the-field tension stays on the field, and bonding among fellow players is more than common, it's universal.  It's a curious and addictive spectacle, with hookers, strippers, and a whole lot of dirt, but for the right person it's a match made in rugby heaven.

How about them Teapots?

After a great Fall '03 season playing Division III Rugby against teams such as Bryant College, Wheaton College, and cross-town rivals Holy Cross, the Teapots made it to the New England Finals.  In an exciting rugby weekend in Cambridge, we battled fiercely, winning our first game and coming up against Middlebury College.  In a great display of rugby, the match went on into overtime, and in 100 minutes of play, Middlebury only scored with a penalty kick in the last two minutes.  Next was the Northeast Championships at UMass Amherst, where we won our first game against Brockport College.  In a hard-won battle against Fordham University, the Teapots kicked it up a notch and secured their place as #1 in the Northeast.  Next up are winter tournaments, the spring season, and most importantly, the East Coast Playoffs.

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