Women's Rugby Ready for First Varsity Match

For the Harvard women’s rugby team, Tuesday night’s opening match against Quinnipiac has been thirty years in the making. Having played for the last three decades as a club squad, this game will be the first time that the team’s members take the field as varsity athletes.

“There’s a lot of excitement on the team, a lot of enthusiasm and focus for this first varsity match ever,” co-captain Xanni Brown said. “We’re very excited, and we’re very focused.”

This promotion in status was a dream come true for the Crimson. However, Harvard did not spend much time celebrating. The squad has been rigorously preparing for the upcoming season, which kicks off tonight against the Bobcats.

Thanks to its new varsity status, the team has been able to up the intensity of its training this preseason, which they hope will translate into success on the field during Tuesday’s match.

Acquiring the new varsity title meant the Crimson got to implement a much more standard practice schedule. Daily workouts and weightlifting have been crucial in getting Harvard to a stronger starting point than ever before. With Quinnipiac set as the first target, the team is zeroing in on its opponent.

“We’ve definitely been preparing specifically for the team that we’re playing,” senior co-captain Brandy Machado said. “We plan on utilizing our strengths and taking advantage of their weaknesses.”

The entire team is going into the opening game with minds set on starting their varsity career with a bang. However, the Crimson is not just looking for a conference win, as the squad has eyes on future success this season. Harvard has set its goals high, hoping to ultimately clinch the Ivy League title at the end of the season, which has eluded the team for the past two years.

“There are some teams in the Ivy League that we want to crush on the way to an Ivy League Championship,” Brown said.

The Crimson hopes to be competitive at the national championships this year as well.

“We want to be one of the best, if not the best, in the nation,” Machado said.

The first step in the team’s quest for national success is its test against Quinnipiac Tuesday evening.

The Bobcats are a formidable opponent led by All-American Natalie Kosko, who racked up a team-high 85 points last season. Newcomer Maggie Myles is another offensive force in their lineup. The Bobcats placed third at the USA National Rugby Championships last year and finished their 2013 season with a record of 15-1.

Harvard will look to its three co-captains—lock Machado, full back Brown, and 8-man/flanker Ali Haber—to help the squad to victory. The three seniors have been on the club team for the past three years.

But victory is not the only thing on the Crimson’s mind as it kicks off the season.

As the first Ivy League women’s rugby team to be named a varsity squad, and as one of only six varsity teams in the country, Harvard hopes to set the standard for women’s rugby teams nationwide.

“People are looking at us to set an example... We want more girls to have this opportunity,” Brown said.

However, the change in status has not changed the foundations that the team was built upon. The current team members are looking forward to carry on the tradition that has been laid down by their predecessors.

“We already have a rich history and legacy, so a lot of it is making our alums proud of where we’re going,” Machado said.

The Crimson will enter the game with a multitude of goals in mind and a desire to further the sport they love through success on the field.

“We want to win, and we want this sport to be as big as possible,” Brown said.