With a genuine smile and energetic personality, Allyn Lieck, 20, sophomore of Broken Bow, started to describe how her interests in football, though she was not able to play in her earlier years, eventually led her to join CSC’s rugby team. Though she did not join the team her first year at CSC, now in her second year she is part of the team along with approximately 15 other girls who practice and play.
“It’s kind of a difficult question,” Lieck said when asked what one word she would use to describe rugby. “To explain rugby in one word is rugby.”
“There’s not really anything else like it ‘cause when you play rugby, you’re out on the field and running as fast as you can and hitting as hard as you can.”
Stephanie Eggleston, 21, junior Communications major, of North Platte, jogs across the CSC practice field Thursday during Women’s rugby practice. — Photo by T.J. Thomson
“You’re out there to win,” she said. “It’s not us versus them, it’s not us and them as teams, there’s rugby players and non rugby players.”
It’s difficult not to get hurt in rugby when you’re falling to the ground and getting dog piled for a large, football shaped ball. According to Lieck, this makes it challenging for recruiting new members of the girls’ rugby club, because it seems to be a genuine consensus among girls on campus that getting hit is bad. “It’s really difficult; I’m not going to lie,” she said. Around campus, the team advertises the fun parts of rugby in order to attract new members, but getting hurt is part of the game. “Yes, we run and get knocked down, but it’s fun.” Lieck said. “Besides, bruises are temporary and blood makes the grass grow.”
As part of the team, members are given the chance to play against multiple colleges and meet a lot of other people. “It’s a great team,” Lieck said. With no coach because the team is a club rather than college sponsored activity, the club members manage everything themselves. However, they often work with the Wayne State team and their coach. “Having a coach would be nice but all things considered, we do pretty well,” Lieck said.
“[This is the] best team experience I could ever hope for,” Lieck said, grinning.
