Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Rugby
Mount Holyoke’s rugby team discusses community, practice, team bonding, and rugby with MHN.
By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28
Publisher
While Mount Holyoke rugby has only played one game so far this season, the team’s practices have maintained their dedication to preparing for the North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby Women’s D4 10s Finals Tournament, scheduled for early November. Rugby President Esther McCarrie ’29 and Forwards Captain Nora Schumacher ’28 spoke with Mount Holyoke News over email to discuss the team’s successes, challenges, preparation for the Finals Tournament and their personal experience on the team.
“What stands out about our success is how well we work together,” McCarrie said. “When we practice, the community is always welcoming. Everyone, no matter their skill level, [is] encouraged to play and practice. We want people to try different positions and techniques to see what fits best for them.”
“One of the biggest successes our team has had is the consistent, deeply impressive progress I see every semester,” Schumacher said. “We are constantly getting new players with little to no rugby experience, and it’s always amazing to see how fast they learn the sport, and how willing returning players are to support their progress.”
On Sunday, Sept. 27, the Lyons faced Connecticut College on the Coast Guard Academy’s pitch field. The final score was tied 15-15, with three tries each and no conversions.
“Our challenges come on the field,” McCarrie explained. “When we play, we are occasionally met with a tough scrum or hard tackle. When these occur, I notice that the rest of the team rallies behind the players with cheers and support. That really helps get us through tough moments.”
“A major challenge we have been facing over the past year has been our lack of a home pitch,” Schumacher noted. “Our school has an incredible rugby pitch, which has been under construction as part of the geothermal project. We have been holding practice behind Creighton or at the athletic fields of a nearby school, but this change has added complications.”
“Neither of these pitches [has] the regulation rugby pitch size and markings,” Schumacher continued. “Creighton is often flooded [or] muddy, and going to an off-campus field requires extra organization in terms of vans and drivers, as well as taking time out of practice for transit. Even at Creighton, the increased distance from our equipment room adds an extra layer of planning every day. However, through a lot of planning and teamwork, we have been able to make this setup work! I am very impressed with the way all of my teammates have consistently volunteered to help drive fleet vans, carry equipment, and work with me to set up and maintain these new (luckily temporary!) practice systems.”
In regard to the impending Finals Tournament, McCarrie and Schumacher spoke on team practices and games.
“We prepare by committing ourselves to practice,” McCarrie said. “When we have our contact practices, we do drills going over safe tackles and scrums. We also practice by playing unopposed games, where we play as if we were in an actual game, just without any opponents tackling us.”
“Our preparation has been largely centered on building strength and technique for maximum player safety before each game,” Schumacher said. “This continues to be true for the finals tournament. I’ve seen incredible progress from spending most of practice on drills and perfecting all the different pieces of the game, and pulling it together with scrimmages for the last 30 minutes or so.”
Regarding their personal experiences on the team, McCarrie and Schumacher had nothing but love for the rugby community on campus.
“I have loved every moment playing on this team,” McCarrie stated. “I find the people and overall community so welcoming. I joined my first semester of my first year and have been committed ever since. I played a little rugby when I was younger, so I knew the very basics, but even if I didn’t, the team made it incredibly easy to learn. I never felt bad for not knowing how to throw the ball correctly or not knowing the different positions. I could always ask questions without feeling embarrassed.”
“I joined this team my first semester at MHC,” Schumacher began, “and over the past two years, I’ve felt incredibly lucky to be a part of this community. The support I’ve received from my teammates has meant the world to me, and the friendships I have made through rugby will always be a defining part of my college experience.”
“Above all,” Schumacher concluded, “I appreciate the opportunity to try a new thing without judgement, and feel like a part of this community through every part of my process.”
Mount Holyoke rugby is planning to hold a joint practice with Amherst College soon in place of a game.
Whitney White ’28 contributed fact-checking.
