A Cinderella story comes every once in a while, a shocker-team comes right out of the blue when time calls for it. As for the women’s rugby club, they want a “happily ever after,” even to start. They see their opportunity now, so to pull through right at the end would be a disappointment.
The club currently has a record of 8-4; a good record, right? This has been achieved not with an experienced team throughout though, but with an inexperienced team. This team is founded on passion more than the experience…for now. They look to find experience through passion.
“We’re getting there,” says Mikayla Gilbert, a mechanical engineering sophomore. “About 50 percent of our team, if not more, had never touched a rugby ball before. But, we’re always moving forward.”
Gilbert, the club president, is still fairly new to the sport as well. With only a year’s experience, she looks to develop her skills on and off the field. Her team depends on that. They depend on each other’s growth.
“If I had known about rugby as a kid that’s all I would’ve done,” Gilbert says. “I feel like I’ve developed but I’m not satisfied. I feel like there’s always something.”
That “something” this season is team camaraderie and capitalizing on friendship. According to Gilbert, the team is “so close that it’s ridiculous.” She looks to take that off the field togetherness and bring it on the field, to have her “team come together this year.” Because this is a team sport, cohesiveness will prove to be a key weapon for the Sun Devils as a whole.
As for Gilbert, improving on her own skills, she has “all that knowledge at her finger tips.” Head coach Barry Carter and staff looks to improve the skills of their players.
“They push us both physically and mentally,” says Tyra Norlander, a global studies sophomore and also the vice president for the club. “Physically, we do a lot of exercises on the field and mentally, they try and switch up drills. Like the night before a game, they help us think in-situation.”
Developing skills and playing as one have shown some results thus far. The club on Nov. 6 won the Scrum by the Sea tournament in San Diego. The team went 1-2 the first day, only to turn it around and go 3-0 the next.
“It’s all about having great ball control and tackling. You just have to trust your team. You have to be completely willing to put your trust in them,” Gilbert says.
The Sun Devils play with 15 players on the field usually, with the exception of some tournaments; the club earlier in the season played in a Flagstaff tournament, placing second. No matter the number, each player plays a part in whether the team ends up in the dirt or flying high.
“You’re going to get off the field with bruises and cuts,” Gilbert says. “You need to be insane to play rugby. It’s hard to say what makes you go out there and tackle people. It’s (Rugby) an adrenaline rush.”
According to Gilbert, with that rush, the team has “come out with a statement this year.” They have not taken it easy as they prefer to practice in full speed and get physical. It’s been rewarding so far as they were invited to a national tournament at Texas A&M later this season; it is a seven-woman tournament.
This team is not delicate. They are trading in their glass slippers for cleats and do not plan to let up. A Cinderella story is not an option as this team looks to solidify their space as a contender.
On Nov. 19, the Devils will face off against the University of Southern California Trojans. It’s scheduled to be a 10:30 a.m. game at the Student Recreation Center fields, but this is tentative.
“I’m pretty confident going into this game,” Norlander admits.
Keep it coming! Got anything? Let me know at bcapria@asu.edu.
