THE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

(SUWRFC)

The Syracuse University Women’s Rugby Football Club is a member of the New York State Rugby Conference and a proud member of the United States Rugby Football Union (USRFC). The Club is currently in the Conference’s Premier Division and is vying for a Conference Championship annually.  The Club provides a challenging athletic experience in a flexible supportive environment. The experience includes, skill development, fitness and playing the most exiting game in the world. There is a place for all athletic backgrounds, no cuts and everybody plays. Features of the Club are:

 

· Travel to other Colleges to meet and compete with other students

· Flexible practice schedule

· Exposure to national and international community of friends and business contacts

· International Rugby Board Certified Coaching Staff

· Community service opportunities

· Active Social Calendar

· Active Alumni support

 

If you are an SU/ESF student and are interested in playing, please contact us at any time, No experience necessary

The 2011-2012 Syracuse University Women’s Rugby Football Club

Go North with Orange Socks… A brief history of SUWRFC

 

In the spring of 1996, three Syracuse University friends were looking for that extra-curricular activity that would add to their Syracuse experience. Jen, Libby and Katy had found a flyer posted for girls to come out and join the Syracuse Women’s Rugby Team, a women’s club team. They were intrigued and decided to give the sport a try. So that spring, they went off campus to play this sport called rugby. The team was made up of a bunch of out of college professionals, trying to keep the sport of rugby alive beyond their college years. The team was not a top competitor in New York State, but Libby, Jen, and Katy were able to learn the basic principles of the sport.

 

Unfortunately playing with a bunch of girls 10 years older than them, and in varying phases of life, the girls were not able to connect with the team. So that fall, the girls sought out the Syracuse University’s RFC Head Coach, Bob Wilson, to see how they could get a women’s team on campus. While going through the proper channels with Bob, the girls also became friends with the members of the men’s team. They wanted to learn from them what it took to run a team on campus. The girls instantly learned the spirit of camaraderie and family that rugby brought to the men’s team and the girls wanted to instill that sense on their own team.

 

That fall, the founders of the club recruited just about every friend they could to be a part of the team. By the end of the fall, the Syracuse University’s WRFC was again alive and kicking. (There was a women’s rugby club on campus in the 70’s but were not able to maintain the club for reasons we do not know). The newly formed club did some active recruiting among freshman dorms and any girl they found hanging around the men’s team. The men’s team instantly adopted as a sister team and volunteered and often helped them learn the sport. The men even donated their old jerseys (which were mostly torn and had a terrible odor to them) In February, 1997, the girls held their first rugby practice in the Carrier Dome. Teaching the other girls the basics learned from the men and women’s team, the girls appointed everyone a position and began to learn the game.

 

Later that spring, the girls thought they were ready for their first match against SUNY Fredonia. The loss was nothing short of a disaster. The rest of the spring season, as well as the first league season in the fall, were much of the same story, with only wins against Alfred University and William-Smith College. The team barely had a full squad and the girls were losing spirit. Wearing the boys old jerseys, the team tried to unify their look with some eye black and our new bright orange socks, but we still came to the field not looking like a team. (the original members of the club never played a game without eye-black and their orange socks, these represented symbols of team unity when that was all they had)

 

Following the fall season, the team founders were committed to building a stronger and more unified team. They beefed up recruiting, they collected bottles to buy uniforms, they started a Thursday night song night where they watched rugby videos and practiced their rugby songs. They were determined that the Spring of 1998 would be different.

 

That winter, the girls were invited to a Syracuse Chargers (City of Syracuse Men’s Club) fundraiser. One of the original team members, Jill, attended the event on crutches. She had hurt herself long before SUWRFC ever played their first game but was committed nonetheless. When Jill sat down at the bar, the man next to her asked her about her crutches. When she told him the story of starting a women’s rugby club at Syracuse University, the man was impressed and excited for the young team. Turns out the man was not only an alumni from Syracuse, but played for the Syracuse University RFC, and then the Syracuse Chargers before a back injury forced him to retire from playing. Still devoted to the sport, the man continued to support the Chargers in the community and frequented their games and social events. Jill joked with the man saying that “It would be great to have someone like him to help out their struggling team. The man replied “Sure thing, I will see you in the Spring” This man’s name was Greg.

 

The spring season started with practice in Women’s Building. Jill was surprised when she saw the man walk into practice that night (we have been let down many times before with promises). Greg thought he would check out what was going on and spend a few practices with the girls to get them started. Despite have reservations on coaching women, he immediately recognized that the team needed more than just a little help, they needed a coach who could teach them the game of rugby and instill a confidence that the team could be successful. Greg had a lot of work to do, the team couldn't even run the ball up the field and he constantly begged them to “please run north”. He taught the team plays and strategies that were beyond the basics the girls were focused on. Later that spring at our home opener, the team started the game with more heart and determination then ever. They were proudly sporting their new jerseys (orange with orange and blue hoops on the sleeves). The team huddled and chanted their new motto “ Go North with Orange Socks for Greg”, took the field and won their first game against SUNY Geneseo ( a division I team, Syracuse was a division II team at that time.)

 

Since that day, Greg has continued to be a committed and devoted coach at Syracuse. After capturing the 2001 Conference Championship, the team was promoted to Division I Premier status where it competes today. Greg has instilled a true love for the sport of rugby and players and has supported many players both on and off the field.

 

The team continues to grow and the amount of awards and trophies grows annually. Since 1998 the club has competed in the Conference Championships (Final 4) 11 times, and Territorial (Regional) Championships 4 times and has either won or placed second in 10 tournaments including the 2001 “Upstates” Championship. In the spring of 1998, the club saw their first Alumni leave for the real world.  The team sent her off with her own set of beads (which quickly became a traditional gift for the seniors). The last original member of the team graduated in 2000. By the fall of 2002, the team had enough alumni in the real world to have their first alumni match, which continues to this day on the Saturday before Thanksgiving along with the men. With the competition being fierce and the level of rugby growing, in 2004, Steve Shires joined Greg to coach. The two compliment each other with different skill sets and knowledge of the game from positional play. This combination allows the team to get the detailed attention and development needed to be successful on the field.

 

About this Site

 

SUWRFC has chosen SuperGreenHosting.com  as our host for this website. The servers hosting this website are powered by wind and has no adverse effect on the environment. The servers produce 20% less CO2 than other servers. The other 80% is neutralized by a company sponsored tree planting effort. 

 

 

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