PRU Rugby All Stars '06

Today was one of the best rugby days of my life.

It wasn't quite as good as the day I played a game and a half after sitting on the sidelines with a broken wrist for a season... but it was DAMN close.

The day started off badly, when I either set no alarm or slept through it - anyways, Keen called me and was like, "Hey, we're here to pick you up!" and I was actually still asleep. BAD.

But we got to the pitch in Baltimore more or less on time, and everyone kit up for the MARFU All-Stars tournament consolation match: PRU Red vs. PRU Blue.

I was playing on the Red team which, of course, kicked ASS. Seriously, though, as a team we basically fixed all the problems we'd had the day before, and then fixed all the mistakes we were making during the game as well. Our scrums were amazing, our backs ran some terrific loops and switches, our defense was excellent, our rucks were hard and quick - it was a great game.

Not that the Blue team was doing shoddily at all - we weren't getting anywhere with our mauls, and we spent a lot of time inside their 22 with them holding us off - several times getting the ball and kicking it back across the 50 - Petrides did lots of good things on the Blue team. Also, neither team lost their mind up near the try zone, which is... well, very different from AU.

Personally, it was one of the best games I've ever played. Maybe because between waking up late and playing our own team, I wasn't thinking too much (something that always messes me up), but I was so proud of what I did in those 80 minutes. I even did okay with the captaining stuff - most of the time I looked to other people to try to figure out what to do, and Mel (the backs' coach) had to point out that I should probably stop my 8man picks near the try zone because they weren't working, but in the second half I decided to switch to Krysi throwing the lineouts instead of the hooker, and ended up doing (and calling) every offensive jump myself, and it was great to see how the choices I made change the effect of our play.

I love rugby. I love playing it, I love spending time with the girls who play it, and I don't know what I'll do with myself until next season starts.

Who's big rugger on campus?

So our campus newspaper wrote up our home game... and check out the picture they used!!!!

A copy of the article and photo:


Media Credit: JACOB GOODMAN/The Eagle
The AU women's rugby team finished the season with a 3-5 record.

Women's rugby has rough-and-tumble 2006 season
Jessica Lee
Issue date: 11/16/06 Section: Sports

American University's women's rugby team had a losing season (3-5), but senior captain Colleen McHugh said this year wasn't a disappointment.

"I think this was an important building season," McHugh said. "A lot of young players gained experience, we got a group of great new players and we learned what skills we need to focus on for the playoffs in the spring."

McHugh said the women have built on their previous talent.

"The improvement from last season is incredible. Every girl on the team has improved her ball handling, tackling, field awareness," she said. "I've been really impressed with how much every player has stepped up their game individually and also as a team."

This club team is more than just a team. According to McHugh, the women on the team like to say that AU women's rugby is family.

"It's great to be part of a team with teammates who support you on and off the pitch. We are a close team and know we can all count on each other for anything," she said. "The team gets along really well and that's because we all have a lot of respect and care for each other."

McHugh said a lot of strong players graduated last year, leaving a very young team behind.

"It's been a tough season with people shifting positions and learning new positions; the dynamic of the team is very changed from last year," she said. "We did a great job recruiting a huge group of rookies who look really promising and are learning the game quickly."

Senior Kellie Cavalier, the other team captain, said she agreed.

"We have a great bunch of rookies who really added to the team and we have continued developing as a team," said Cavalier.

However, despite how easily the young team clicked, there were still problems with how well the women communicated on the field at the beginning of the season.

"With so many young players the team hasn't been playing together long enough to know how to play with one another," McHugh said. "But we've sorted it out, and the team improved a lot by the end of the season."

Despite some of the re-adjusting of the team, the women played some really great games this season, but they also had some tough losses, McHugh said. One of these losses was No. 2 Penn State. Nonetheless, McHugh said the women played to their potential.

"This year we played the best I've ever seen AU play against Penn State. While we lost the game, we made Penn State work for their win," McHugh said. "I think this game showed the team what we can do when we play our best."

"The [team] has begun to realize that we are unstoppable if we play together and play hard," Cavalier said.

On Captaincy

I'm filling out the medical form for PRUs, and there's a few differences from the average health form. For example, after the typical "Are you currently taking any Prescriptions or Non-Prescription Medications?" questions, there's spaces specifically for anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, and pain medicaiton.

Rugby people are SO good to their bodies....

On a somewhat related note, I'm SO excited for this weekend. Playing rugby! In Baltimore! With a whole bunch of other ruggers, most of whom I haven't met before! What could be better?

I'm probably going to be 8ing, considering that's what I did during our scrimmage practice on Sunday (our cold, wet, muddy, miserable practice, which I wore shorts and socks to, which prompted my parents - who drove me from the Bungalow to campus - to rush-order me a pair of underarmour spandex pants. Go Mom and Dad!)

Considering Gabe had me captain my team both at the practice and the last tryouts, the other thing I might be doing next weekend is act as the on-pitch captain. I don't know why he had me captain - my personal guess is that with my hair, I'm easy to recognize and remember, which is an advantage in a select side team whose players don't know each other well - but it means that people tend to look to me to figure out what's going on.

Knowing what's going on is not my forte. To put it mildly.

I'm just to the point where I can kinda sort figure out where it's strategically best to go up in a line-out, and whether it's better to pass the ball off the top of the lineout or bring it down for a maul. But I have no idea which person should be jumping when (the PRU team runs line-outs where the jumper runs to the place they'll jump from). I'm a good jumper, but I don't know whether I'm better or worse than the other two jumpers, and when one of us should jump as opposed to the other.

Similiarly, the PRU team calls plays off of scrums (8man or scrumhalf pick). Which means I - even if I'm just an 8man, and not a captain - should probably be calling stuff. At some point. When, I'm not sure.

The thing is, even when I've had to call or do these things before, I've depended largely on Krysi or Sheri or whoever to tell me what I'm supposed to call, and relied on people knowing that I don't really know what's going on. The PRU girls don't really know me, and mostly likely assume that if I'm captain I'll know what to do.

I feel kind of silly worrying about this, also. Like it's egotistical to complain about being a captain, or even to assume I will be a captain. Or like it's in bad taste to even talk about Things I Am Good At. Except - seriously, you have to believe me - I have had a rock-solid self-image of me being Bad At Sports for many years now. I am slowly chipping away at that self-image, but I'm barely to "Okay, so I guess I'm not too bad at rugby, I mean, I'll admit I'm one of the top 15 on a team of 40 or so, but I'm still a total klutz and I don't know what's going on and that amazing 8man pick on Saturday that led to Sheri scoring a try was really Sheri's doing, I mean she told me to pick and I did, it's not like I can really play that well or anything." Believing that I'm one of the top 2 out of 44 select-side ruggers? HA.

Hence my theory that Gabe picked me as captain because my hair is pink.

In which I am a turncoat wing

Today was our game versus UMBC on our home field. It was good. I played 8 during our Aside and, as UMBC needed a few extra players for their Bside, I got to play WING again! Admittedly in a black jersey that clashed horribly with my navy shorts, but it was fun. Even if I do have to admit that being a forward is tons more fun.

It was a good last game - the weather was nice, fans come, and we played quite well. We won, but I don't know by how much. My parents were there, too - quite exciting! Especially since they gave me time to go to the social and nap after the game before taking me out to dinner, then went home early enough that I had time to go to Kellie's birthday party.

But Sunday is apparently a rugby day too (practice for the PRU U23s, some place in Virginia?), so I've got to get to bed. Which is boring, but a healing place.

And here comes the end...

Tomorrow is Saturday!

Tomorrow is OUR HOME GAME THAT IS ACTUALLY AT HOME!!!

We're playing on the Mass Ave field (a block down from Katzen, across from the seminary) against UMBC at 11:00. Basically, if you consider yourself my friend and don't have a pretty important serious engagement... you should be there.

Also, my parents are coming. Which is cool... except it means I can't go to the social. And I have to find three restaurants for us to eat at! (One for dinner tonight, one for dinner tomorrow night, and one for breakfast on Sunday before I go to practice for the PRU U23 team).

The AUWRFC season will be over with our game tomorrow, which makes me VERY sad. However, I get to play rugby for another week (SCORE!!!) because of PRUs - practice this Sunday, and games vs. the VRU and EPRU Saturday and Sunday next weekend, up in Baltimore. HURRAH!

While it'll be nice to see what my knees look like without bruises, I will miss rugby. Also, I will miss seeing my ruggers 3, 4, 5, 6 or sometimes even 7 days a week. What do people do without rugby?!

Oh, right. The fitness game.

PRU Tryouts, Part 2

Woke up this morning at 9:30. TEN HOURS OF SLEEP (13 counting my nap) HURRAH! Then I went over to campus to meet up with Keen, Scrappy, Krysi, and Sheri to go to the PRU all-stars tryouts. There were a lot more people there than there were 2 weeks ago, so we got to do a lot more, including scrimmaging at the end. (I have been playing rugby for long enough that I forgot what "scrimmaging" meant when one of the coaches announced we would be doing it... I thought, "Don't you mean scrummaging?!")

I ended up locking during the scrimmage, a position I've played exactly once before (during one practice this week), but did okay. The big surprise was that the coach, Andy, had me act as captain for my team. And I called most of the lineouts. What is this?! Responsibility?! I don't really know what I'm doing, I just pretend!

Honestly, I am still kind of surprised that I'm good at rugby. I've done sports most of my life, and been bad at all of them - not just not good, but atrociously lousy - but there's something about rugby that just gels.

AU vs. Mary Washington

Despite starting off rainy and cold (I HATE HAVING TO WALK A MILE TO GET TO CAMPUS AT UNGODLY HOURS OF THE MORNING, AND RAIN JUST MAKES IT 10x WORSE), the day ended up being PERFECT for rugby, at least down in Fredericksburg where we played. 60 degrees and sunny, and really soft ground from the obnoxious amounts of rain we'd had (and puddles!). It was a bit windy, but not too bad.

We lost our Aside, won our Bside - I think the scores were 0-3tries, and 2tries-0. It was one of those days where we started off lazy and gradually got better as the day went on. Mary Washington mauled all the goddamned day, which was tiring and involved me getting my feet stepped on a lot. We got wet and dirty. It was FUN.

I played ALL of Aside and ALL of Bside (two 40s and two running 25s = 130 minutes of rugby) at 8man, which I haven't played a whole bunch before, but which I enjoyed. Bside, Deanna had me as on-field captain and I was calling lineouts. When she told me this, I almost fell over. Me?! Doing something important?!

After the game, we went to a ridiculously nice townhouse to social. I spent the time crashed out on the nice white carpet*, deciding not to drink because of PRUs Sunday and because I was EXHAUSTED.

Getting home, I showered and took a three hour nap before putting in a brief appearance at a Halloween party, then coming back home and going back to bed.


*Correction: nice white carpet, currently with one or two not-totally-inconspicuous pink spots on it... sorry, Mary Washington!

AU vs. PSU hells yeah!

So today was our Big Game against Penn State - and we rocked it. We played so. damn. well.

Now, understand that Penn State is the #2 team in the country. That previously, they've swept us away with points solidly in the triple digits.

Today? 0-64. And we started hard, finished hard, and went hard nearly the whole time inbetween. When we realized there was a problem, we fixed it. They're getting a run off the kickoff and scoring a try? Fixed. They're getting breakaways leaving the fullback alone? Well, not fixed, but it damn well got better. We played hard and we played fast and we never gave up. When we got discouraged, we brought each other back up. It took them 13 minutes to score their first try. PSU probably expected nothing out of us - and that is NOT what they got.

Before the game, Kellie and Colleen (our captains) gave us Lucky Charms (for luck) and ribbons with our names that said "15 together never loses - AUWRFC Fall 2006." It was 15 as one out there - we weren't 15 ruggers, we were a team. It was amazing.

I know for me personally it was the most I've ever put into a rugby game. I played all 80 minutes of the A-side, and I took everything I had and left it on the pitch - and then kept playing. By the end of the game, I was so worn out I was dizzy and shaking, but I was still sprinting to get to the ball and support, and I've never been prouder. It was my second game flanking, but this time I knew what I was doing. PSU's flyhalf wasn't scared enough of me by the end of the game, but I was aggressive and loud at calling the ball out. Bean and I worked up some excellent teamwork in killing whoever caught the ball off the kickoff. It wasn't the best I've ever played, but it was the hardest.

B-side was less exciting (for me, at least). I was pretty out of it between games, but I had a 20g protein bar and drank a liter of gatorade and got back in it (seriously, I was gone after that first game. I need to work on my fitness). For the second half of B-side, I went in at 8man, which was fun, but not too long into the half I tackled someone, hit my head, and spent 5 or 10 seconds figuring out which way was up again. I probably could've kept playing, but I didn't want to take any chances, so that was the end of the day for me.

Nonetheless, it's the best day of rugby I think I've ever played.

I'm a FLANKER!!!!

I woke up this morning, and could barely move.

That's how you know Saturday was a good day.


When I woke up Satuday, the downpour of the day before had stopped. When we were on the field warming up, however, it started to really pour. We'd jogged around the pitch, charting puddles (two or three, only one of them particularly deep), but as the rain bucketed down the pitch turned into a near-river. My hair (newly cut and enpinkified on Thursday, with a little help from Germany) bled down my face and neck and onto my jacket - the "Pink" embroidered on my jacket is now actually pink.

By the time we started playing, the rain had stopped, but the field was a swamp. We were SOAKED, and covered in mud. I'm not just talking mudstains - you could've planted a garden in my shorts. It was pretty cold and wet and miserable. It worked out, though, because you got numb and didn't feel how much you were getting knocked around.

But, moving on to the actual playing. As I alluded to in previous entries, I was playing FLANKER - a forward position, considerably different from the back positions (wing, sometimes full back) I've played before. Instead of staying out of every ruck I could, I was supposed to be in every other ruck (and was usually in more); instead of standing around in the middle of the field during scrums and lineouts, I was IN scrums and lineouts!

I wasn't sure how well I did - I played two games of the round robin, the A-side against GWU and the game against Catholic (which only had one side). I was pretty disappointed because I never got to tackle Catholic's flyhalf (my job as a flanker), but I think I was making the GWU flyhalf pretty nervous by the end of that game. And even if I was kind of confused, I had FUN. I got into so many rucks and went in support of a whole bunch of runs.

And I hear I did okay. Well enough that Deanna told me I was permanently a flanker. Which is exciting, but I will be sad if I never get to play in the back triangle again. But - FLANKING!!!!!! IS SO MUCH FUN! I get to scrum!! And get lifted in line-outs! (I didn't get to do a whole lot of that, but hopefully more once I get some practice!)



Injury report:

- Lots of cuts and bruises. Heurich field is FULL of rocks, so my knees are covered in stylized shooting star patterns in a nice blood red. However, between the cold and the mud, I didn't realize I'd broken the skin at all until I showered. (HA!)

- Lost my contact. During the first game, some girl stuck her finger in my eye. I attributed the blurry vision then to the mud that was certainly in my eye, and for the rest of the day figured my funny vision was from: mud and rain; weariness; alcohol; drunkeness and weariness. Then when I tried to take my contact out at 3am, it wasn't there. And boy, was I confused.

- Face chafing. At first I was really confused about how I got sunburnt just on the far sides of my face (forehead to cheekbone, outside of my eyes), until I remembered that in the scrum, I had those places on my face pressed up against props' shorts - shorts covered in thick, rough mud. Mmmmmm. Even have a tiny abraision under my left eye, probably from a pebble. (I mentioned it this morning at the carwash, and Krysi nodded knowingly and called it "scrumface.")

Flanker nerves

I swear I've been on an adrenaline high ever since I played flanker at practice on Thursday.

I also haven't slept properly since Tuesday night.

Last night I went to bed at 10:30. I woke up half an hour before my 7:00 alarm, except "woke up" isn't really the right term because I didn't really sleep at all.

It's going to be cold and rainy today. Miserable weather for a rugby game - rain is lovely at 75 degrees, but not at 55.

I cannot wait for the games today. "Battle of the Beltway," AU vs. GWU vs. Catholic. I'm flanking at least two games.

Dear body, just keep the adrenaline up for one more day - it should be no problem. I'll keep you as warm as I can.

I AM SO EXCITED. OMG.

Obligatory weekend rugby roundup

This Saturday was very similar to last Saturday: we drove two hours away to play a team that beat us pretty soundly. Except this weekend it was University of Delaware, and though we didn't even score a try in the Bside game, we kept them to much fewer tries and generally did much better - more coming up hard, keeping a defensive line instead of getting sucked in, everyone tackled, etc. I played all 80 minutes of the A-side game at wing, and after the games, I got a chocolate bar for being the best returner back of the day!!!!

After the games, we split up - half the team went back to campus, but the rest of us stayed to watch a little bit of the boy's game and then go social.

Then today (because I'm masochistic, apparently) I got up and went to the four hour long PRU development camp. There weren't as many people there as I'd expected - any female rugby player under 23 in the DC metro area was eligible to attend, but there were only 16 girls there, 9 of them from AU. It wasn't as exciting as I expected - the majority of things we went over was basic stuff that we do in practice anyways. However, it was good to get more practice (even on the basics), and some of the drills we did were new and interesting.

But now, I'm super tired. And sore (but no injuries besides bruises). And want to go to bed right now, except I realize I'd probably wake up at like 2am and my sleep schedule would be messed up. Sigh.

Touch ruggin'

Today Nips sent out an email inviting all of us to play touch rugby on the quad at 2:30. So what if I had 57 pages to read, bullet point, and write a 2-3 page essay on before class tomorrow? Touch rugby on a beautiful day is a beautiful thing.

Touch rugby on the quad is an excellent excellence not quite like anything else. It's an opportunity to just fuck around, playing the game we all love but without the stress or the trying particularly hard. Plus, it was gorgeous - around seventy degrees, sunny, blue skies, the works.

RUGBY SEASON IS BEGUN!!

Yesterday was our first rugby game of the season, HURRAH!

We played JMU (James Madison), which was 2 hours way out in Virginia. They're a pretty good team, plus we got to use a relatively nice field (there were bleachers! And the main building was unlocked so we got to use actual bathrooms!)

It was SO AMAZINGLY GOOD to play again. We've done a few ruck-and-runs at practice, but no REAL rugby. I played the first half of the A-side game at wing, and the first half of the B-side game at fullback, and had SUCH a good time! I did pretty well too - got some lovely tackles in at wing (and made them, too - I don't know if I missed a tackle! Okay, maybe one or two) and had a handful of runs at fullback when JMU kicked the ball.

The whole team didn't do extraordinarily well, but considering that JMU's pretty good and we were fielding a lot of rookies, it was a good game. The mistakes we made were predictable for rookies, and will be fixed with just a little experience. We lost pretty badly (only got one try - Nips put one in B-side), but we had FUN!

Injury report: I banged my head pretty badly at least twice when I was in at A-side (once when rolling over some girl I tackled, once when I was too preoccupied with passing the ball out of a tackle to pay attention to how I was landing), but nothing happened besides a bitty headache that went away with a few cups of beer at the social afterwards. I did, however, in the first few minutes of the A-side game, get a really nasty bruise just above my left knee. It was like someone had cut a tennis ball in half and stuck it to my leg, and it hurt like a bitch to run on it. But I wasn't going to let a bruise stop me from playing! I've been icing it since the games were over, though, and even though it was still pretty swollen last night it's pretty much back to normal now. Still hurts, though, and I decided not to go to campus for the sci fi movie tonight because I didn't want to walk that far on it.

I can't WAIT for next weekend!

First rugby practice!

First rugby practice today!!!!! It was SO GOOD!!!

Okay, not the part where we did conditioning and I was all "NOT WORKING OUT IN SPAIN BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HOT WAS A DUMB EXCUSE BECAUSE THEN AT LEAST I WOULD'VE BEEN PREPARED FOR THIS WEATHER!!!" It was hot and I was out of shape. I was also kind of dehydrated, so I was inhaling water... which, of course, sat there like a helpful sea urchin in my stomach.

I must have looked a little like I was feeling, because Deanna pointed out the nearest trash can in case I needed to hurl.

Luckily, I'd already noticed it - also the nearest bush, in case the trash can was too far.

Luckily also, I'm a huge drama queen, and was fine (if a bit lazy with some of the running). The water finally went useful places, my face stopped tingling, and then we did contact! WHEEEEEEEE!!

I ended up taking out my industrial. It went back in after being out maybe an hour, hour and a half. It hurt, though - for at least a few months I'm going to just tape it instead of taking it out.

But yeah! Contact*! At which I didn't totally suck! And at the beginning of practice, we did lines**! At which I didn't totally suck, either!

Oh, oh, and then we played touch***!!! Which was SO MUCH FUN!!!! At which I also didn't totally suck!!!!

So, okay, nothing particularly exciting happened. Just rugby in general. The team is looking fabulous - we all knew what was going on and weren't disastrously out of shape and while we weren't at all perfect, the mistakes we made were not first practice since April mistakes.

YAY SUPER YAY!!!!!!!


*This is the non-rugger term guide: contact = running into people with your shoulders. Also, holding pads so people can run into you with their shoulders. AWESOME FUN!!

**Lines = running off and throwing the ball to each other. In lines. Kinda.

***Touch = rugby where we touch each other! ...Instead of tackling, you fools!

Rugby starts tomorrow!!!

It's a mad mad mad rugby world

The rugby madness, it is starting again!

I just spent about 20 minutes using a calendar template on my mom's computer to make myself a rugby calendar - one for JUST rugby events. And between games, e-board meetings, and fundraisers, that calendar is pretty damn full. Even without practices written in!

Earlier today, I finally finished slogging through the Treasurer's Bible (the binder for my position). Man oh man, Mama Jess was NOT kidding when she said it was a mess! Basically it's stacks of money-related forms (filled-out and blank) from up to three or four seasons ago, two copies of the Club Sports rules, and two letters from previous treasurers. I made the mistake of reading the two years old one first, but the one for me from Mama Jess was pretty helpful.

Anyways, after an hour or two of flipping through forms, reading and rereading Jess' letter, and checking out the PRU website, I've at least figured out that we're not going to show up to a game and be referee-less because I didn't pay someone. I've still got to figure out exactly what magic spells Jess put on the Excel spreadsheets I've got, get an updated version of our budget that includes reimbursements made over the summer, and figure out what the hell is going on with UVA drivers' reimbursements (and if I have to do anything about it - see, Krysi, I'm trying!)

Once I get those things figured out, and go to a Club Sports meeting Sunday night, I'll be totally on top of things.

That is, for the official budget.

Then, there's the social budget, which technically is not a rugby budget but just some money collectively owned by some girls that just happen to be on the rugby team that goes towards alcohol for parties that are not rugby parties but just happen to be attended by the rugby team. Which I just happen to be in charge of. This, I know little to nothing about - except that technically, it doesn't exist.

Then, of course, I have to keep all this information safe in a head which will be battered by rucking pads and angry ruggers.

...

Rugby, my abusive lover, I've missed you so!!!

Fitness yay!

So I finally got up off my ass and got back to playing the fitness game for rugby. Considering I only did about two and a half weeks in the two months I was in Madrid* I was worried that I'd be a little slow or a little weak.

I went running in our neighborhood, a route I did before I went to Spain that takes me less than 20 minutes and that is somewhere between 1 and 3 miles. It's got a lot of hills. When I did it before I went to Spain, I didn't make it the whole way - I stopped and walked a LOT on the way back. But when I did it today, I ran the WHOLE WAY! (Okay, I lie, I took like a 20 second break to scratch my legs at the halfway point but THAT DOESN'T COUNT!) So apparently, walking at least a mile a day and walking up and down five flights of stairs everytime I had to go to my apartment kept me sort of in shape!

I could possibly also attribute my not stopping to the fact that I got a book on CD and uploaded it to my iPod and was thus distracted from internal whining about muscles hurting and my stomach churning etc etc, but I'm going to not do that.


On a sort of related note, does anyone know of any websites or books that deal with nutritional health for a jock vegetarian who wants to eat healthily but cheaply while keeping up her energy and maybe gaining a little muscle weight? Please?


*Which I consider TOTALLY acceptable, btw, because being a little slower or weaker in rugby this season is worth having gone to the parks in Madrid instead of running.

I am a huge rugby geek

So in all my research for my internship for Instituto de Empresa, I've been checking out the websites for the top MBA programs' rugby teams.

Stanford? Has had a rugby team for thirty years.

In that first season? Sally Ride, first woman astronaut, played.

This year and last they defeated Penn State to become national champions. Penn State. AU's rivals, of the sort where they're better than us but we're convinced if we keep trying we can beat them.

One of their girls was the only member of a club sport photographed for Sports Illustrated's "List of Collegiate Athletes to Watch." She's also been on the cover of Rugby Magazine twice.

This is what my dreams are made of.

I.

Heart.

Rugby.

An announcement

So during the Alumni Game (April 22) I got a big gash on my knee. I tried to get all the dirt of of the cut... but it was very deep, and once it started healing it was obvious there were still some bits of field in it.

But today, May 23, a full month later, I finally got the last chunk of dirt out. So long, little piece of rugby field!

I'm in charge of money... be scared!

So rugby elections were tonight, and I am the treasurer.

I wasn't planning on running for treasurer... but I was approached by a number of people who felt I was the best for the position. And we all know how addicted to this team I am, and how I want to do whatever's best for this creepy rugger family; so I accepted my nomination and am now treasurer.

It's not really a fun job... but it is one that needs to be done, and one I know I can handle. The time commitment isn't too much; and what it really needs is an organized person who's willing to do froms and nitpicky things, etc. Which I can do. And I will be glad to do, really.

Plus, I get to be on the eboard and make decisions.

Plus, I get to play with moneeeeeeeeeeeey.

Mwahahahaha!

Ruggerfest part 2

So today was day 2 of Ruggerfest (the all-women's rugby tournament this weekend) and it was just as fun as yesterday!! Well, actually slightly less fun, because we only played one game and we lost that, but it was a well-played game and I got to play wing in my favorite back triangle (me and Scrappy on wings, and Petrides at fullback). As I said we lost the game, but we still played quite well, and ended our season on a good note.

After the game was over, I decided to stay rather than come back to campus with most of the team - the Maryland Stingers had invited any of us who could to stay and maybe play with them. I didn't end up getting to play (they needed forwards more than backs, so Keen played while Scrappy and I watched), but it was still really great to warm up with the Stingers, wear a sub jersey, and watch the game. The Stingers are a women's club team that has a really good relationship with AU - that is, half their team is AU alum - so I'm getting to know and recognize some of their players.

Following the Stingers' game, the three of us who'd stayed hung out with Deanna and Maria (two of our coaches who were also there) and watched the final game of the highest bracket.

Then Maria gave the three of us a ride back to campus (after we stopped off at the KFC/Taco Bell combo for food with Primo), and I got back juuuuuuust in time to get to work in the oh-so-exciting library reserves.

And so here I am - hyped up on rugby, beer, and a little caffeine, not too sore yet (thanks to ibuprofin and the sun), avoiding studying for my Japanese oral final tomorrow! Hurrah!

Mid-Ruggerfest update

Rugby today? SO MUCH FUN! Today and tomorrow (yay! I get to play again tomorrow!) are the last times playing rugby this season (there's the rookie party next weekend, but that's a totally different kind of playing). We're at Ruggerfest, which is an all-women's rugby tournament. Today I got to play all 80 minutes of our two 40 minute games, at wing. I didn't tackle anyone, but I only got one or two opportunities to, and I DID shove four or five girls into touch (that's a good thing). The more I play this sport the more I love it. The newest thing that I love? RUCKING. Oh my god is rucking FUN. Seriously! Running into people with your shoulders and pushing them back? AMAZING feeling!

AUWRFC: Ten years going strong

This weekend there was an alumni reunion for the rugby team, which has been together since 1996 (10 years!!!). It was INSANE. I am absolutely exhausted, but it was SO much fun!

It started out Friday night, when we had team dinner in TDR with some alumni and some of the team. Usually, I eat pretty fast and get out of there - but with some of the stories being told, I was laughing so hard it was impossible to eat! I stayed for an hour and a half, then somehow ended up going over to the rugby house to help set up (which was also quite fun).

Saturday I was up at 10 to go to the pitch, where the team watched the Stinger's game before our own 2:00 match of AU ruggers vs. Alumni. We were supposed to play four 15 min quarters, but ended up only playing three (because some of the alumni are old and out of shape, and they were getting injured pretty frequently). I played wing, then fullback, then wing again and had a GREAT time - I got some nice tackles in, including a most excellent back-style running tackle (i.e. their wing had the ball and was running away, and I caught up to her from behind, grabbed her jersey and dragged her down) and one where their 8man made a breakaway and I grabbed onto her long enough to stop her (though I had help getting her all the way down). At some point I also lost a chunk out of my left knee, but it doesn't hurt very badly and I didn't even notice until after the game was over.

The weather was perfect for rugby - it had been raining for hours and hours, so the ground was nice and wet and soft with several huuuuuuuuge puddles and I got quite muddy just from tackling and rucking (I think it was the rucking that got the mud in my ears). I also found that mud puddle makes excellent hair gel - it kept all the wisps out of my face! Then at the end of the game (the alumni won - boo!), a few of us (me included) went mudsliding through the biggest puddle - and then we took a big alumni and current player photo.

After a quick break to run back to campus and shower (where I just dumped all my dirty clothes in plastic bags in a pile on the floor), we all went to the rugby house for a SOCIAL!!!

But after six hours of sleep - back up to go to the rugby house! It was supposed to be a pancake breakfast goodbye for the alumni, but not a single one showed up (all too tired - and hungover), so it ended up being just a fun bonding the team members that came before we cleaned up the house.

When the house was clean, I walked back to campus just in time to watch my wife & co. in King Lear, then grabbed a bit to eat before coming to work. I've still got awhile before I can get my exhausted ass to bed - remember those muddy clothes in plastic bags on my floor? Still there! After work, I REALLY have to go rinse and wash them.

But as exhausted as I am - it's the exhaustion that comes from a weekend of PURE AWESOME.

Thou shalt not hesitate in the breakdown

The Ten Commandments of Rugby, preceded by a photo of George W. punching someone in the face.

So who wants to buy me presents?

If anyone wants to buy me rugby stuff... My favorites are "Run like a girl - throw like a girl - tackle like a girl" "Try me! Women's Rugby" "My girlfriend rucks better than yours" "I hurt it playing rugby" this one, "My mom could tackle your mom!" "My daughter is a hooker" This one, "Ruck it" Let's Hit the Maul, Real Women Drive Rucks, and Congratulations! It's a rugby injury! cards.

And some more - this one and Rossie the Rugger and Lipstick Forward (ha! I hope you get this).

So the rugby game yesterday was good. We played two 40 min games against the Furies and the Maryland Stingers, and did fairly well considering they're both much more advanced teams than us. I personally played okay - I need to work on making my tackles, I definitely missed some and a good number were pretty messy.

As far as injuries, I ended up quite well - I got a bloody nose and knocked myself silly (I had to take a knee in the middle of the field until my eyes uncrossed), but got few bruises and scrapes and I'm not even that sore today. Just one shoulder and where I bashed my nose (by the way, after the game yesterday I went back to my room and iced my FACE. I find that really amusing).

I love rugby, and rugby loves me (abusively)

Yesterday, I finally finally finally got to PLAY RUGBY, and it was brilliant.

Our game was vs. Drexel, on the same pitch as our first game last year. The weather was pretty cold and windy; the cold wasn't too bad, as it was sunny and I was wearing spandex pants and long sleeves, but the wind was miserable, especially when it picked up dust from the field and threw into our faces (dirt in my eyes, my nose, my mouth, my ears... yuck).

First we played two 40 minute halves A side, then 20 minutes B side vs Drexel, then 20 minutes B side vs GW.

I got to play the whole A side game (at wing) and the whole 20 minutes vs Drexel's B side (at outside center).

That's 100 minutes of rugby. And I played it ALL. Without breaking myself at all*! I did pretty well, too - much better than I was expecting. I guess that whole season of just watching really paid off - I almost always knew where I was supposed to be and what was going on. Now I just need to work on making my tackles and passing (and catching) the ball.

But I did get some good tackles in (the one that banged up my hand was pretty nice, actually, and another one I tackled a girl so hard that even though I landed on top of her, the momentum rolled us over and she kind of landed on my head and neck), and even though I didn't get the ball that often, when I did get it I didn't fuck up too much. PLUS I ended up in two different mauls, one of which I was actually the person with the ball, and those were intense.

As far as the team overall, we did really well - we beat Drexel's A side 19-10, and even though both B sides lost, a lot of rookies were playing their first game and the teams we were playing weren't totally B sides. As far as playing, we're doing AMAZING - not perfect by any means, but we've got a good chance of making a good showing in playoffs!

After the game, I went back to my room intending to do some homework, but ended up collapsing in bed reading National Geographic and watching whatever Anna was watching. I didn't get too tired during the 100 minutes I was playing, but afterwards I was totally beat.

Today, I woke up very sore, but not too bruised (outside of my right hand, which looks like I punched something hard). And, of course, completely euphoric - rugby is just Awesome. With a capital A. And now I get to play it all the time, not just watch.

*Notwithstanding the fact that my right index finger is swollen and bruised at the first joint and knuckle, and I have it taped to my pinkie to prevent myself from typing with it. IT'S NOT BROKEN, DAMMIT, IT WILL GET BETTER.

WHAT?!

HOLY SHIT.

So, about an hour ago, I checked my email and found a message from Deanna (our coach) listing selections. Opening it, I found -

I am starting A side in our game tomorrow.

Holy monkey Jesus on a pogo stick.

I have never, never, NEVER started before*. In every sport I've ever played, I've been one of the worst players on the team.

And tomorrow, I'm STARTING A SIDE at wing.

AND playing the whole game.

And playing outside center for at least part of a B side game.

First I was stunned. Then I started screaming. Then I called Carmen. I think I would've had a heart attack except then I wouldn't have been able to play.

I can't believe it.


To finish this up... here's my rugby face:



Note the unwashed state, the bandana covering my scary hair, and the big scratch above my eye. That last is what happens when you try to tackle someone's cleats with your face. Not advisable.




*Unless you count senior night for volleyball, but that was only because I was a senior, not because I had any skills. At all.

Foreign rugby!

So I looked up "rugby" on the WWWJDIC Japanese Dictionary and it gave me three words for rugby:

ラグビー (ragubii): "rugby"
アメラグ (ameragu): abbreviation of "american rugby"
ノーサイド (nohsaido): "no side"

It's the third one that amuses me. Is rugby really so messy that the Japanese refer to it as the game without sides? Or is it a reference to the sense of community present off the pitch between all rugby players, even those from opposing teams?

I may never know.

The Olympics and Thursday

First, the Olympics: I love them. I would never watch them on my own, but if someone else has them on, I'm glued to it. And of course Anna's had the pretty skating people on anytime she can, so of course I've been watching.

The Olympics always really get to me. I get all choked up and emotional, so even the commercials will bring tears to my eyes.

But honestly, isn't it awesome? How people from around the world come together, share in the victories and the defeat... how once someone's out there on the ice (or the slopes, or the field, or the court, or the track, etc.) it barely matters what nationality someone is, and you can't tell if they're from your country or anywhere else in the world just by watching them skate. Sport is an international language, probably even more so than music.

And when I'm done getting my global pride on, I start getting all patriotic: I love that the US competitors are so international themselves. Individuals of all histories and ethnicities and races are up there competing for the old red-white-and-blue; one of the pair skaters got his U.S. citizenship just in time for the games. Y'know?

So it never fails: watching the Olympics, I get all choked up and teary-eyed so easily, it's ridiculous and embarassing. But there you are. It's a beautiful thing.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

And then, Thursday.

Thursday is generally my hell day. I've got class, break (during which I usually cram in the rest of my art homework), art class, hurry to rugby practice, team TDR dinner, shower, a short break, and class.

Today, however, wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the art work I crammed in last minute, and in class the TA (who is AWESOME) taught instead of Professor Ass Crack (who was beautifully absent). Then Nips and I left early to get to RUGBY PRACTICE not horribly late, and practice was full of tackling drills - and the PUSHUP DRILL!!! (Which is sort of like a series of very short rugby scrimmages - it's about as close to a real game as you get in practice).

It makes me so unbelievably incredibly happy to be able to do contact again. After a whole season of just watching rugby, with only one week of experience playing (during which I was utterly, utterly befuddled as to what was going on), and now I get to be completely back in, a real player, rolling around in the dirt, running into/through people... it just makes me feel so amazing.

Rugby love

Yesterday I went to this rugby-specific workout in Dupont that was kind of the MOST AMAZING THING EVER. It was $10, but it was soooo worth it. It was the perfect workout - it tired me out, but not so much that it killed me (I followed it up with an ab workout, running a mile, and then went out to Dupont for Adventures with the crew), we did a variety of things (sprints, rucking, jumping/hoppy things for your legs, things good for your arms), and best of all it was all aimed towards rugby!

Also, Deanna at one point commented that I was quite bouncy. This was followed by a considering look, after which she declared that she thought she might make me a flanker. That is, a forward. This is a proposition I view with both trepadation and excitement. I mean, I'd get to scrum! On the other hand... I'd be in scrums. Y'know.