Women’s Rugby Hits the Field

by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017

Friar Sports

Women’s Rugby Team
photo courtesy of Madeline Lally’ 19

by Meaghan Cahill ’20

Sports Reporter

While they may only be a club team on campus, the Providence College Women’s Rugby Team is definitely a team to keep your eyes on. The team is a part of the Rugby Northeast Conference. The team is run by Providence College students with an executive board consisting only of seniors. Katherine Shields ’18 is the president of the team, as well as a second row player for the team. She is assisted by Danielle Civitarese ’18, who is the team’s Vice President and occupies the hooker position.

Led by a new coach this year, former Providence College rugby player Michele, the team is completely made up of juniors and seniors, with the exception of Ariel Tavares ’20, who is a flanker. This includes last year’s Fall 2016 Tier 1 All-Conference team qualifiers Mickayla Roan ’18, who is a flanker and also the back’s captain this year, and Aria Ross ’18, who is a center. Ross also made the Rugby Northeast 2016 All-Conference first team and is the forwards’ captain for the team this year. Ross, Shields, and Roan were all named to the 2015 Rugby Northeast All-Conference first team and within that same year, Roan was named Rugby Northeast Player of the Year. The team is not new to the game and clearly have the experience that they need for a successful season. According to Madeline Lally ’19, “The team is a great group of girls who look out and care for one another. They never fail to motivate me and my teammates, do their best, and always improve.”

Their best was proved to be good enough this past Friday, September 16 when they beat Stonehill 42-17 in their first game of the season. Their fall season consists of eight games this season, four home games and four away games. The season goes right into the first week of November and then the team takes a reprieve as they wait for the better playing conditions that the spring will bring.

Lally also commented on the team’s goals for their fall season, saying, “I would say our goal is of course to win as many as possible and to have fun doing it!” Lally played wing for the team last year, but states that this season her position “looks like [it] could be anywhere on the back line.” While talking about the team and the season with her, Lally also explained why she joined the team in the first place, saying that she “joined because I missed the team sports I played in high school and wanted to be a part of something more competitive than intramurals.”

The rugby team plays their next game in Friartown against St. Michael’s College on Sept. 30 at Hendricken Field.