Today, I attended my first UR Women’s Rugby game against Niagara University. It was an emotional rollercoaster.
Photo credit to: Rebecca Gillie
I am the person who refers to anyone with an illness as “sweetie.” I am the person who consistently offers tea and baked goods to anyone that will take them. I have ibuprofen and granola bars in my purse at all times. I am a mom without children. So this game nearly gave me a heart attack.
These girls are fierce as hell. I am not completely brushed up on the rules of rugby, so to me it looked like a bunch of tackling, then running, then more tackling. Each pile up of players only looked like a big mess of limbs to me. But even with my extremely limited knowledge of the sport, I could tell Rochester was doing amazing. We kept scoring and didn’t stop.
I was constantly muttering to myself the words “OUCH,” “OW,” and “Oh my God is she okay??” But I was also getting swept up in the excitement of it all. Watching my peers take hits like a pro and tackle others mercilessly was an eye opening experience. All I kept thinking to myself was, “If I ever get in a fight, I want these guys in my corner.”
Photo credit to: Rebecca Gillie
As my friends and I looked on, we wondered why there was suddenly a break in the game. One player from Niagara had attempted a high tackle, and as a result she had possible neck and head injuries. An ambulance came to provide her with the proper medical attention. It was really scary, and everyone was worried for her, but her teammates continued to play after she was sent to the hospital. There were multiple other, smaller injuries to follow on both teams. The “mom” voice inside of me wanted to send everyone home with soup and instructions to rest, but these students were not ready to back down. They played on.
Rochester ended up winning by a landslide of 41-19. While both teams performed well, I was extremely proud of my friends and peers on the Rochester team. Watching their strength, resilience and sportsmanship was truly inspiring. And if I ever need someone to back me up in a fight, I know who to call!
Photo credit to: Rebecca Gillie