Rugby is not a popular sport in the United States, but a group of women on Auburn's campus are trying to change that.
After a few years of low membership, the Auburn women's club rugby team has seen a growth in its numbers, which has breathed new life into the team.
Drew Cash, junior in rehabilitation and disability studies and philosophy, has been a member of the team for the past three years and contributed to the team's recent rebuild.
"When I was in high school, I played on an All-Star team with two girls that played at Auburn," Cash said. "I was already planning on coming to college here, so I got involved and helped keep it going, because there [were] a couple years where we didn't really have a quality club."
The team has rebuilt by recruiting other women around campus. Karen Dillon, sophomore in exercise science, was also recruited to the team.
"I was just sitting at a basketball game with a couple of my friends, and two of the girls on the rugby team just turned around and started talking to us," Dillon said. "They invited us to practice. I went and I got hooked."
Dillon, who had no experience playing rugby prior to college -- only two women on the team did -- said rugby is a combination of more popular sports in the United States.
"There are the tackling aspects from football and the fast-paced movements from soccer," Dillon said.
Although there are similarities to other team sports, the game can sometimes be tough to explain to American newcomers.
"When people ask, I tell them to picture football field with two end zones," said Helen Custodio, sophomore in industrial engineering. "You're trying to get the ball to the other end, but you throw the ball backwards, and you continuously play, you don't have to stop after someone gets tackled."
Custodio said rugby is a multi-skilled sport, as it involves a mixture of speed, strength and endurance.
However, team members said the tackling and contact nature of rugby was what attracted them to the sport.
"I'd always wanted to play football in middle school," Cash said. "But when I tried out for the team, they told me I couldn't go on the field for liability reasons. So in eighth grade, I started playing rugby because I really wanted to play a contact sport."
But according to Dillon, there is as much to be gained off the rugby pitch as there is on it.
"It's not just about tackling," Dillon said. "There's good team camaraderie and a great amount of sportsmanship."
Cash said rugby has given her the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and make friends she'll have for the rest of her life.
Anyone looking for further information about the women's club rugby team can go to the AUinvolve website, where the team's contact details can be found.
"If anyone is interested in playing, they don't have to know anything about the sport at all," Cash said. "We'll teach them everything they need to know. So, come out and don't be shy."
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