Rugby team looks to keep on rolling
The Utah State women’s rugby club play as a team and, frankly, it seems to be working out OK for them.
Colorado was no problem.
Wyoming wasn’t much of a match for the Aggies either.
Utah Valley State, in a game where USU Captain Brooke Lambert said her team played “messy,” was no contest. In fact, the Wolverines couldn’t get on the scoreboard even with their coach in stripes, refereeing the game.
And during last weekend’s Snakebite Classic in Boise, Idaho, USU did most of the biting – beating Idaho, Boise, Missoula and BYU to take home the championship.
“We played as a team rather than individuals,” Lambert said of the team’s performance in Idaho. “We played better in every aspect. We were tackling better, running better, passing better and rucking better. It all came together.”
After finishing eighth in the nation last year, the Ags have rattled off seven victories to start the fall season, outscoring opponents 225-27.
While the team’s competitive season doesn’t begin until spring, the Aggies still have a chance to win the Utah Union title with another win over UVSC in two weeks.
The winner of the union, which includes Idaho State, UVSC, BYU and Utah State, qualifies for a game in the Pacific Coast playoffs.
Head coach Pati Kohler credits the team’s success to a combination of experience and hard work.
“We’ve had quite a number of returning players,” Kohler said. “We didn’t have to start over from scratch. And we’ve had a lot of dedication from our players.”
The veteran Lambert and teammate Lissa Woolf have helped anchor the team’s offensive production, Kohler said.
“Brooke always does really well,” Kohler said. “Lissa Woolf has been working extremely hard. She’s really shined.”
Most high schools don’t offer a venue for women’s rugby, Lambert said, but the team’s newcomers are learning fast and providing depth to the squad.
“Everybody comes in blind,” Lambert said. “But the rookies are stepping it up.”
The only blemish to Utah State’s fall record came at the hands of Side Select, an under-19 all-star team, during the Jackalope Tournament in Laramie, Wyo.
Kohler said the team’s focus during the tournament was to gain experience for new players and the team’s starters received minimal minutes during the match. Side Select finished on top 14-0.
“It was our second game of the season,” Kohler said. “We were playing a lot of new players. Our goal for the Laramie tournament was to make sure everybody got playing time, not to win. If our goals were different, the outcome might have been different.”
The team travels to Salt Lake City Saturday to face off with a club team.
“It’s still as competitive,” Kohler said. “It’s just a different kind of game. We look to improve our team and hone our skills. We’re not looking to solely win. “
The team, Lambert said, is still looking to pick up the win.
“They’re older and bigger,” Lambert said. “They’re a more experienced team, but we’re a faster team.”
-acf@cc.usu.edu