Women's Rugby travels to Ireland for spring break

By Justin Colella
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Carolyn Bronson, a 19-year-old political science major from Maryland, is one of Norwich women's rugby team members who is excited about getting their passport ready for competition in Ireland.

The team has been planning this trip since the middle of their Fall 2001 season. This European trip was offered this season because, under women's rugby coach Fiona Johnstone and head coach Robert Weggler, the team made it all the way to the Rugby Division II playoffs this year.

The team won their six regular season games but lost their first tournament game to Tufts University, where three points lost the game; the final score was 8-5.

The team did win their second tournament game against Springfield, with a score of 27-5.

While the team is on their off season, they are still conditioning on their free time. Also, they still plan to practice in the afternoons.

The reason for the off-season conditioning is their trip to Ireland, where they will travel at the time of spring break. Although the whole team will be going, only some of the players will be playing. The players who don't play will be supporting the team and possibly helping Coach Jonhstone.

Before the team goes to Ireland, they will concentrate on finishing fund-raising and preparing their on-field tactics.

While in Ireland, "we also plan to have fun and make the best of our down time," Bronson said.

With the team's full support of head coach Weggler, the team now has more leverage when dealing with the university's sports budget. This means that when the team needs equipment, such as uniforms, they should have no trouble receiving what they need.

Women and men's rugby is only a club sport, but because of the women's winning streak, they have become admired by other non-club sports teams.

"They worked hard on their off-season conditioning, and it showed," said Marc Bullock, (23) a senior criminal justice major and football player from Troy, Michigan.

"The girls are the type of athletes who go out to the field, do what they are told, and leave the opponents on the ground crying for a trainer," said Rosa Mom (20), a nursing major from Revere, Mass., and another football player.

The dedication and heart of this rugby team has also rubbed off on non-sports playing corps students. "I don't play any sports, but I have the same major as some of the players and can clearly see their close bonds and can also see how that bond makes them work so well together at their games," said Alex Miranda, a 19-year-old nursing major from Quincy, Mass.

This is one of the women's rugby club's best teams in some time, and the school should be proud of the hard work and dedication of the team.

Back to Guidon index