Women’s rugby one of campus’ top club teams

This season proved to be a successful one for the Geneseo women’s club rugby team. Ranked 12th in the country, the DII team has made it to the top 32 playoff bracket three out of the last four years. Women’s rugby is just one of the many teams here that embodies Geneseo’s tradition of athletic excellence, even at the club level.

There are 30 players involved in the women’s rugby team, according to their roster online, making it a very popular club sport amongst women. There are technically three teams, in order to ensure that everyone gets playing time. This inclusive nature allows the team to welcome new players every semester. That being said, rugby experience is by no means a necessity to join.

“Some people know the team sport dynamic and other people have never had experience with a sport before, but no matter their skill level, everyone will catch up,” junior second row and forward’s captain Vickie Allen said. “We all learn together.”

This team dynamic is further built through practices every Monday-Friday, as well as group workouts that really enhance the players’ bonding experiences. These workouts help grow individual character in addition to team unity.

“I think one of our strengths is that it is such an open and accepting place to be,” Allen said. “We all come from different levels of experience, locations and friend groups, but we all become strong-minded together. It’s like making 50 best friends at the same time.”

The majority of the opposing teams are from SUNY schools, with a few private schools, such as Rochester Institute of Technology and Syracuse University. The team holds a 7-1 record in the regular season and is looking to continue that success in the upcoming playoffs.

After collaboration with the school, alumni and officers of the men’s rugby team, Geneseo rugby has finally been approved to use two fields on campus. This will allow rugby to have a home field, which they have been lacking.

For the last few years, they practiced on Onondaga field and played home games in Rochester. This made home games difficult to attend for both friends and fans. After construction modifications next semester, however, the teams will officially have a field to call “home” in the fall of 2017.

“It’ll be nice to wake up and to only have to walk a few minutes to the field, instead of driving half an hour in the morning,” Allen said.

Women’s rugby has an important presence on campus. Their open nature makes it a perfect club team for someone looking to learn a new sport or to even begin an athletic career in college. By having a home field right here on campus next fall, more people will be able to easily cheer on the women.

Geneseo rugby to play on home field

The Geneseo club rugby team—otherwise known as the Warthogs—is already off to a great start with a 4-1 record.  Having notched wins over defending state champions SUNY Oswego and having put in a dominating performance over rival Buffalo State to win the game 49-5, there is a great deal of optimism among the team for their season. President of the Warthogs, junior forward Chris Cummins is extremely proud of the team’s performance so far. “I honestly think that we have a chance to win states,” Cummins said.

Cummins’ expectation comes from the work ethic that he has seen from the team and the great shape that the players have worked to achieve. “One of our major strengths as a team is our fitness and our drive. We fight harder and we want it more.”

A lot of the dedication and ferocity that the team has comes from the team captains, junior 8 man Joseph Goldbloom and sophomore fly half David Levy, according to Cummins. “They both have the ability to make everyone around them better,” he said.

Even though the team has an impressive record and is in a position to compete every game, Cummins stated that the team is lacking in one major area: a home field. Though the rugby team is a perennial playoff contender, they have not had a home field to compete on. Hopefully, this will change soon, as the team has recently been approved to use Lower Merritt Field for games.

The prospect of playing games in front of fans on Geneseo’s campus is something that Cummins is looking forward to. “Geneseo home games in Rochester don’t mean as much as home games in Geneseo,” he said.

Though the field has been approved for use, it is still not ready for games. The goal posts for the team have not yet been installed, something that Cummins hopes that the Athletic Department changes soon.

Not having a home field has meant that the team has to pay for and reserve a field for use in Rochester and then make sure that each individual player is able to get to the game. Cummins believes that this has led to lower fan interest and turnout over the years.

“As a fan, are you going to drive 40 minutes to Rochester, or would you rather walk down to the field on campus?” Cummins said.

When discussing the importance of having a home field with junior full back Simon Honig, another player on the team, he mentioned his belief that the field will not only bring fans, but new players as well. Although the Geneseo club rugby team is already one of the largest organizations on campus, Honig thinks that the team could grow even more.

“The idea that somebody could look up from their desk in the dorms to see us playing and become interested is really cool,” he said.

The team has proven their will to succeed and the Warthogs hope that it has earned them a chance to grow in their ability to represent the Geneseo community. “I would love nothing more than to win a state championship on our home field,” Cummins said.

With the team off to a great start, the players locked in on their season and the prospect of having a home field to play on, both the players and the fans of the Geneseo Warthogs have a lot to look forward to this year.