MU Women’s Club Rugby scrums its way to success

The University of Missouri Women’s Club Rugby was established in 1975 by John Stewart and currently consists of 21 members who compete while carrying nearly 50 years of tradition. The club’s two coaches, MU rugby Alum who was part of the women’s rugby team Ramona Sparks Hicks and Damian Gonzalez provide accelerated training for their fast-paced games year-round. The team participated in their first two home games of the fall season at the Mizzou Women’s tourney against Central Missouri and Drury, winning one out of the two matchups. 

“I really love my coaches here at Mizzou, and honestly, they’ve taught me more about rugby than I’ve known for the past four years,” first-year club member Kaitlynn Cherco said. 

Rugby is a full-contact sport where players score five points by advancing the ball and setting it in the opponent’s goal area. Passes must go backward or sideways, with no blocking allowed. Teams use tactics such as scrums, which are rugby plays that restart the game after a minor infringement. Another kind of play is a ruck, in which players from both teams compete for a ball that is on the ground after a tackle to maintain possession and win the game. Missouri plays a variant known as rugby 15s, in which 15 players on both sides play for 80 minutes.

“It’s kind of like when you’re watching football and something goes wrong and they end up doing something like a lateral pass, and everybody gets super excited because it’s so cool,” coach Ramona Sparks Hicks said. 

The club practices every Monday and Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at Hinkson Field. The practice includes a focus on the neck, with regular stretching and care for the club members. When tackling, the risk of getting whiplash is high, which would require weeks to months of recovery.

“We spend a lot of time stretching our necks because it’s one of the most important parts to stretch when you’re playing rugby,” Vice President Kiera Gonzalez said. “When you’re tackling, it needs to be loose.”

The club primarily recruits new members with a booth during Welcome Week, where students can learn more about the team. Members will also reach out to those they know on a personal level, approaching them about the club and explaining what it offers. 

“I’m always impressed that anybody comes because they don’t know what it is,” Hicks said. “They’ve gone from never having seen a game at the beginning of a season and trying to explain pretty intricate rules for a 15-later member team, and they do great.”

During the shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, club rugby had less attention, as fewer members had the desire to play competitively. The recruitment process was challenging due to social distancing and other restrictions. The club rebounded in part due to its two dedicated coaches. 

“They were doing player-coaches, which in my experience, is never good,” Hicks said. “It’s just really hard on everyone. After that season, I started coming regularly, and Coach Damian Gonzalez, another player’s father, also helps coach the team.” 

This season, the team collaborated outside of practices and games, participating in several team bonding events. The group attended football games and spent Halloween together.

“Most of my best friends are on the team, and they’re people I don’t think I would have ever met if I hadn’t played rugby,” Karson Miller, 2023 and 2024 All-Star player and current senior said. “I’ve grown really close with them outside of rugby, but also in rugby, since we’re together for a good amount of time throughout the week.”

The club’s fees are $25 a semester for each member. The majority of the money goes to the governing body of USA Rugby, which requires yearly membership fees.

“We try to keep our club fees as low as possible. We don’t want money to be the reason someone can’t play rugby,” Gonzales said. “If they’re having issues paying, we have ways to work around it, such as setting up a payment plan if necessary.”

Rugby players use both aerobic and anaerobic energy to move and recover during games. They need strength, power and stability for high-impact actions such as tackling. Speed and agility help them change direction quickly, slow down fast and accelerate when needed.

“As much as it’s definitely a physically demanding sport, it’s definitely mentally demanding as well as staying so focused, and there’s a lot of things that can kind of knock you off your feet, so resilience is a key trait,” Hicks said. 

The first event of their winter season consisted of club members Anna Fairchild, Miller, Michaela Paquette and alternate Sam Kaster who played rugby with other rising all-star players in Mid-America against multiple teams in the U.S. They placed No. 6 in the All-Star 7s Tournament at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta on Jan. 25-26. 

“To be able to be chosen twice (for All Stars) and have that opportunity to get again kind of solidifies for me, like I earned the opportunity, and the work that I put into the sport physically and mentally has paid off,” Miller said. 

Women’s Club Rugby provides a dynamic platform for athletes to enhance their strength and speed while forming connections with like-minded individuals. 

The club will compete in its first spring season game against UCM in Warrensburg, MO on Feb. 22.  

Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Caroline Sweet and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com 

 Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com