Why Not Try Something New?

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page Send by Email

TAKING A CHANCE AT A NEW SPORT

NMU Northstars Women’s Rugby team player Allison Nowak (right) passes to Sonja Novitzki during their game against UW Oshkosh. in Marquette, MI, Saturday, September 20, 2014. (photo by Ron Caspi)

Marquette,Mi – When it comes to sports most of us tend to enjoy a Sunday sitting on the couch, stuffing our faces with pizza and wings watching NFL games from noon to midnight. Others like the atmosphere of America’s pastime, baseball. It’s just something about a fresh hotdog in one hand and maybe a beer in the other while the seventh inning stretch is happening. No matter what your sport is, most people associate themselves with recognizable sports.

NMU Northstars Women’s Rugby players Alex Clark (left), Morgan Brigman (second from right), and Megan Daviau try to stop a UW Oshkosh player as she runs with the ball. (photo by Ron Caspi)

As a girl growing up, I was always into some kind of sport. I have played soccer, softball, volleyball, basketball, ran track, and cheered. However, this past year I was introduced to a new sport, rugby. I had never really heard much about the sport, I just knew it started over in England and it was similar to football just without pads, which made it seem even more crazy.

UW Oshkosh runs with the ball. (photo by Ron Caspi)

As I found out, rugby is an international sport that has deep roots and is played all over. Rugby is a game similar to football in that there is a ball and you must have it in your possession in order to score. The ball is not shaped exactly like a football although, it does have a similar oval shape but is larger and thicker.

Women’s Rugby players “line out” at the start of a new play. (photo by Ron Caspi)

Players can pass the ball backwards but not forwards in order to advance down the field. The way the point system works is you get five points for a try which is similar to a touchdown in football. After you score a try you have the chance to get two more points for a kick through the uprights.

A NMU Northstar rugby player turns around to pass the ball to a teammate behind her. (photo by Ron Caspi)

Some of the rules are not so simple. For example, if you tackle a player the ball does not change possession, instead there is a ruck that forms between the two teams where they are fighting for possession of the ball. The player that is tackled has two choices, they can try to pass it to a teammate, but generally it will be placed towards their team, or they can place the ball to the ground. If they place it to the ground a ruck is formed by both teams.

Players form a scrum to establish possession of the ball. (photo by Ron Caspi)

Players in the ruck can’t use their hands to get the ball. One player from each team faces each other and locks shoulders while other players must push to win possession of the ball.

This sport has became an interesting part of my life. It took me a while to learn the rules as a spectator, but now I actually play the sport. At a much smaller size than normal rugby players, NMU women’s rugby team has become my new team for the past two years now. So far this season the NMU Northstars have started off 0-3 but have a chance to change that as the season continues.