Rough rugby, women's style

A freshman transfer from Central Washington is bringing something to Eastern Washington that she can not live without, a female rugby team for EWU.

"I played last quarter through Central (CWU). I fell in love with the sport, it's amazing," Jessica Hay said. "It's like a total community," she added of the players' support for one another.

Hay transferred to Eastern because it could offer more to her than CWU. "They (EWU) had the major I wanted and it was closer to a bigger city. It felt like it was better to be here than there," she said.

Hay is majoring in Outdoor Recreation, due to her childhood. "I was raised on a ranch, so I've always been outdoors. I was stoked when I looked at classes and saw how cool they were," she said.

The same reasoning for picking an outdoor degree may have also led to the love of a rough and tumble sport.

"Rugby is a lifestyle, it's not just a game," Hay said. "I love it; I fell in love with the sport and everything that came with it. You get in shape playing, there's no question about it."

Along with this lifestyle comes a sense of belonging, family and togetherness and Hay makes sure that everyone feels that way when they come out for the team. "Everybody is welcome. No experience necessary," she said about who should try out for rugby. Hay wants everyone who's thinking about trying out for rugby, but isn't sure if they are cut out for it, to go for it. No matter your weight, height or body type, Hay said that all types have a place on the field.

To become an officially recognized team by the school, which would include funding, the women's rugby team needs to be active for a year. About three weeks ago Hay got the ball rolling. By putting over 150 flyers out in the community, an advertisement in The Focus and word of mouth, Hay said about 20 to 30 girls showed up for an informational meeting about rugby and forming a team.

"I was floored the first time I walked into the informational meeting. I was expecting maybe five or six people to be able to play sevens tournaments. I was shocked, my jaw hit the ground," Hay said about the turnout.

Rugby is a 16-player team sport that is based out of England. The team contains two teams within the original, much like football. Lee Modoc, a junior on the men's team, said, "It has a little bit of every sport in it."

The game is split into 40-minute halves, with one five-minute halftime. There are limited substitutions, usually at the half, or because a player is bleeding and needs to be removed from the field. There's no padding or protection, just a mouth guard and a one-eighth inch thick piece of foam for a helmet.

Modoc added, "It's a really rough and tumble spor that gets its publicity from the hard hits."

Hay wants to clear up a misconception about the female team though, "There's not that many crashes, you just get grabbed from the waist and pulled down," she said about the tackles.

Starting next fall, Hay wants a solid, core unit of girls who are willing to put in some hard work to play and learn the fundamentals and safety aspects of the game.

"You're not stepping into a team, you're stepping into a family," Hay said. "It's almost like a sorority, but better."

Every weekend for the month of April, the Rugby team will be playing in different tournaments in the area.

If you're interested in playing, learning, meeting Hay and the team, or just seeing what rugby is all about, Fool's Fest in Airway Heights is on Saturday, April 5, 2008.

The following two weekends, Gonzaga University women's team would like to give EWU's women a chance to play for their team.

The last weekend of the month, the EWU team will travel to Missoula, Mont., to participate in Maggot Fest. Call Hay to learn more about the team and games at (509) 570-3113.