Senior Briana Ballard is a founding member, and current captain, of the EC Sirens, our women’s rugby team. When Briana helped to found the team her freshman year the team did not play a single game. In her second year they played one game, against UCF, and got “demolished”. By Briana’s junior year, however, the EC Sirens joined the Orange Blossom Conference and won the entire conference. They have been undefeated since last spring. They won the conference again this year and were able to go to the Rugby South Championship in Alabama. Though their undefeated streak ended at the Championship, Briana says the experience of coming so far was rewarding and worth it.
Like most girls who join the EC Sirens, Briana had never played rugby before coming to Eckerd. Her position on the team is scrumhalf, which is similar to the quarter back in football. She starts the ball off when it comes out of the scrum* and the ruck*. When asked what she likes most about the game Briana immediately says that she loves the other girls on the team; they all get along and have great teambonding. She also enjoys the intensity of this notoriously rough sport. Her worst injury so far was a black eye her junior year, which she is justly proud of because “every girl that plays rugby wants a black eye”. She admits she felt like a badass, and she is. This tough and enthusiastic leader has come a long way with the EC Sirens and will be sorely missed next year.
Rugby is incredibly entertaining to watch, especially at Eckerd where everyone is tailgating in bathing suits on Kappa Field. Luckily for us it’s a year round sport. So collegiettes, come out and support your EC Sirens on April 28 for the women’s Sevens Tournament (there are seven people on the field instead of 15).
*Scrum: A contest for the ball involving eight players who bind together and push against the other team’s assembled eight for possession of the ball. Scrums restart play after certain minor infractions.
*Ruck: One or more players from each team, who are on their feet and in contact, close around the ball on the ground. Once a ruck has been formed, players can’t use their hands to get the ball, only their feet.