The women's rugby team earned the thrill of finally winning a rivalry game after a ten-year losing streak, beating Cornell University 24-18 in front of a home crowd on Sunday.
"Cornell is our biggest rival and beating them is something we always work very hard toward," said the club's president, junior Megan Rasbeck.
Nicknamed the Flying Squirrels, the team is soaring after its latest win with hopes of using the victory as a building block for the rest of their games this season.
"It has been over ten years since we beat Cornell," Rasbeck said. "We're overly excited for this win, possibly the biggest win of the season."
Sporting its red-and-black uniforms, the team took the field on a clear afternoon for its pre-game warm-up routine. Camped out along the sidelines were parents enthusiastically cheering for their daughters and eagerly anticipating the start of the match. Two children were throwing a rugby ball around under the watchful eye of their mother and there was a feeling going around that this game would be different.
The excitement only intensified as the game got started and a loud cheer sprang from the sidelines as onlookers watched the players from both teams scrimmage for the ball.
Cornell was no easy opponent for the Flying Squirrels. The Big Red dominated them last year by a combined score of 58-0 over the course of two games, including a disheartening elimination from the New York State Rugby Conference Championship Match by a score of 32-0. All these past wounds made Sunday's win extra sweet for UB as well as marking a fresh start to a new season.
While it was just their first game, this was the kind of win that gives the Flying Squirrels confidence for the rest of the season. Cornell dominated the first half taking a lead into halftime, but the Squirrels were able to persevere to get the win against a solid Cornell squad.
"It was a complete team effort," Rasbeck said. "Everyone played as hard as they possibly could, giving 110 percent."
The win only highlighted the mental toughness that the women must have to play such a physical game, making strides to change the stereotype that rugby is only a men's sport.
"It's just like any other women's sport," Rasbeck said. "I think a lot of people aren't familiar with the game but it is actually growing in popularity. Even high schools have been starting teams for both men and women."
Although they may not receive the headlines, and most people don't notice them as they pass by the fields while they practice, the Flying Squirrels have not been deterred from their goal of going out and playing hard each game.
Practices run Tuesday-Saturday and last for about two hours each day on the Ellicott fields, and to exercise team unity, the women often celebrate the night before a game with a team dinner.
It is evident that the team takes great pride in what they do. While the games are fun, Rasbeck said she finds great value in being on a club team because of the interactions she has with her peers and teammates.
"The best thing about being part of a club is meeting so many different people, while playing such a fun game," Rasbeck said.
The ladies hope to carry the momentum from their first win into their contest against Ithaca College on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. on their home field behind Ellicott.
The Flying Squirrels have put their frustrations from previous years behind them and have a bright future ahead this season, with visions of a championship in sight.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
