For the Good of the Team

Sticky, dirty, brown sludge covers every inch of their visible skin. It clings to their bodies, coats their hair, and sticks to their practice uniforms.

They are the women's rugby team, and they run like champions off the field after a practice in the mud, wearing the caked, smelly earth proudly.

The UB women's rugby team is undefeated this year for the first time since 2008. To Melissa Babajko, a freshman nursing major, the team is more of a family than just another club team. To her, the team's motto, ‘For the Good of the Team,' holds true.

"It's kind of like having a ton of big sisters," Babajko said. "They can be mean and annoying at times but that's the way it is. It's all out of the love of the sport."

After playing softball and soccer in high school, Babajko came to UB looking for something new and exciting. She found her answer when the members of the rugby team approached her at orientation. After attending the first practice, in which she couldn't even participate because of a previous knee injury, she was hooked.

"What pulled me in was that it looked like a ton of fun and I knew I would enjoy it," Babajko said. "I wanted to do a sport and I love football. I was already used to hitting the ground as a goalie from soccer so I don't really mind this type of hitting – it doesn't phase me."

It was the full contact aspect of the sport that drew not just Babajko into the team, but the other girls as well. They enjoy the therapeutic quality of getting rough on the field.

"I like it because I get out all of my aggression and it's something different and unique, it gets your frustrations out," said Claire Scherder, a senior nursing major, who has been on the team for four years. "There is this adrenaline rush the whole time through a game, you won't feel any [injuries] until the next day, no matter how bad it is. You could wake up and be like, ‘Oh wow, I got a concussion yesterday.'"

Rugby is similar to football, with 15 people on the field trying to score in the ‘in-goal area' for five points. Points are also awarded for gaining possession of the ball from the other team and for a successful drop kick. Unlike football, there are no protective pads worn by players on the field, and only the player in possession of the ball can be tackled.

What people may not realize is that women play rugby the same way as men. Women's rugby games employ the same rules, concepts and amount of tackling as men's games.

"There only is a difference in dynamics between men's rugby and women's rugby at this school," said Ashley Kessler, a senior anthropology major who has been on the team for four years. "With the men's rugby [team], they don't care about the people that [join the team]. They are just there to win. I don't think they get along at all like we do, which shows on the field."

The team shows that they care through the A-side and B-side system. A-side consists of the veteran players who play in the major games that count toward the overall record. B-side is made up of the rookies on the team, like a junior-varsity level. Members of the A-Side will often play in B-Side games, to help them out and teach them the ropes.

"We are really focused on developing the team and setting a foundation for when we graduate," Kessler said. "We want to have players to leave our legacy behind and do well."

This training was extremely useful for Babajko during her first game. She was confused, nervous, and worried that she would mess up.

"I didn't really know what to do because everyone else had played other games before me," Babajko said. "After the first couple of plays, I felt fine. I knew what I was doing and I felt great. I went in and scored twice, which was exciting. Everyone was really supportive and helpful."

This method of helping out the rookies has proved successful, and can be seen in the undefeated record of the team.

"I just think women's rugby isn't glorified as much as men's rugby but people should know it's just as intense, if not more," said Andrea Sicignano, a sophomore environmental studies major who has been on the team for two years. "It's the same game, we're just not men."

Outside of UB, women's rugby is gaining a place in the athletic world. In the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games, it will be represented for the first time since 1924. In 2002, the NCAA gave women's rugby ‘emerging sport status.' This means that women's rugby at the collegiate level will be able to give out more scholarships and sponsorship opportunities for the athletes involved.

"It's a great game and everybody should at least know about it and watch one game," Babajko said. "We are rough and tough on the field, but in the end we all love each other as a family."

Email: features@ubspectrum.com