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.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, November 10, 2006
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.
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.
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