Rugby...for girls?

SPORTS, May 2007, by Jenifer Merifield


RUGBY...
for girls?


rugby teamAbsolutely! Girls can start playing from the age of seven and up. Rugby is known to be pretty rough, not your typical “ladies game”, but that doesn’t stop the girls and women on the Fredericton Loyalists Rugby team (below)!

These New Brunswick tweens and teens play right along with women on their team. Ages range from 14 to adult and they all play hard and aren’t afraid to get dirty. Rugby is definitely a contact sport, and if you aren’t in shape when you sign up, you certainly will be by end of season.

Coach Kim Dymond has her team playing 5-6 hours/week, which involves two 2-hour practices, plus one 80-minute game. Touch and flag rugby (no tackling) can be played indoors, but rugby is usually played outdoors on a rugby field. Playing the sport involves running, passing the ball, kicking the ball, catching the ball, tackling, rucking and scrumming.

rugbyHistory: The game of rugby is said to have originated in 1823 at the Rugby School in England, when a soccer player decided to add a little excitement to his football game. In blatant violation of the rules of soccer, he picked up the ball and ran with it. Today at the gates of the school lies a stone marker which reads, “William Webb Ellis ...with fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it.” With that one spontaneous action, Ellis invented a game that continued to deviate even more from soccer and incorporated aspects of many other sports. Rugby eventually gave life to today’s version of American football. Rugby is a popular game played by boys, men, girls and women of every race and creed, from under age five to well over fifty, and in over 100 countries around the world. In a few of those countries it is the national sport -- some call it a religion! The basic game involves 15
players, though seven-a-side tournaments are also popular. (Adapted from “Idiot’s Guide to Rugby’s Rules and Regulations” by Kristina Launey)

Average costs: Club dues can vary, but the average cost is between $200 and $300 per season.

Starting age: Kids can start mini-rugby at the age of 7, and there are teams at the middle/junior high school, high school, university and senior levels. The most popular time to get started seems to be high school and up.

Equipment: Girls will need cleats, socks, shorts and a jersey (usually provided). Other optional equipment includes a mouth guard, scrum cap, shoulder pads, and shin guards.

Jargon/slang: scrum, ruck, maul, try, prop, hooker, lock, flanker, number 8, scrum half, fly half, inside centre, outside centre, wing, fullback.

Competitive aspect: In NB, the women’s league has three teams. They compete locally, as well as in tournaments outside of New Brunswick. Some of their girls also compete at the provincial level, either on the NB U-19 team, or the senior women’s team.

Why others should consider rugby: to develop a strong sense of camaraderie with other girls, regardless of age. It’s also an excellent way to stay fit and strong and, because of the different requirements of each position, people of all shapes and sizes can excel at the sport.

~ Jenifer


Add Comment

(Please use a nickname or your first name only. To help other girls relate, let us know your age and what province/state or country you live in. Other identifying information like email address, address, web sites or phone numbers will NOT be accepted. Thanks for your comments (: COMMENTS WILL BE POSTED WITHIN 24HRS.)

*Name:
*Name:
*Email (your email will not be displayed):
*Comment:

*By clicking "submit", you acknowledge that you are 13 or older, or have received parental permission to send your information, according to our privacy policy.

Reproduction of any article or content herein, in whole or in part, without written permission is strictly prohibited.
© Girls Can Do Anything Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved.