Common Rugby Misconceptions Debunked

Rugby is not football. It is not soccer. It is not even the bloodbath that some people describe it as. Rugby is a contact sport that welcomes all body types.

“People think that you have to be strong and big to play rugby, but in actuality any body type, any level of athletic ability can play rugby. There is a position for everybody,” said President Grace Weber. Rugby teams are made up of fifteen players: eight forwards, comparable to linemen, and seven backs, comparable to running backs.

Everybody includes fans as well. Prom Dress, an event where players wear old formal gowns and play a full rugby game, is about as entertaining as a sport can be. However, rugby players do not wear pads, and the tackles can look brutal even when no permanent damage is done.

“[A misconception is] that people get hurt all the time. It’s actually not that dangerous. And the only thing I ever heard about rugby before I started playing here was that it had no rules. Which, obviously it has rules so that’s a misconception,” said junior Estrella Ross. Rugby has roughly 504 rules, in fact, enforced by a referee the players refer to as the Sir or Ma’am. While there were no obvious injuries in the team’s Prom Dress game, barely any of the dresses remained unscathed.

“It [prom dress] is one of our biggest schoolwide events,” Weber mentioned. “We get the most fans out. I was looking to spread enthusiasm for rugby through the school. Hopefully we have people continue to come to the rest of our home games and continue all the support.”

Rugby is really a sport like no other. For prom dress, several players from Regis, Metro, and private club teams drove down to compete with and against Mines girls. After rugby games, it is tradition for the teams to come together for a “social” where the teams hang out and sing outrageous, risque, and downright raunchy rugby songs. Fans are oftentimes welcome as well.

Then there are the intrateam bonds.

“You’re using your body to protect your teammates. When you put your life on the line for other people, you create a really close bond,” Weber explained.

“You know to do well, the whole team has to work together, and you can just tell when it’s working. You just kill it and keep going,” Ross added.

If you are interested in playing rugby, shoot an email to club-rugbyw@mines.edu. If you are just interested in watching some really athletic girls ruck and try, the team has home games on October 1 and October 8.